Turning Points
by batman.wolverine
Summary: Changes in a relationship. Old endings and new beginnings. [Timeline concurrent with season 5 of the JLU Animated series with refrence xovers with BTAS & BMGK] [BMWW, SMLL, Others]
1. The Date

**Title: Turning Points**

**Author: BatmanWolverine  
Rating:** PG15  
**Fandom(s):** DC, JLU  
**Genre:** Romance, Drama  
**Pairing/Characters:** BMWW, Others (Including SMLL, HGGL, VXGL, FL)  
**Summary:** Changes in a relationship. Old endings and new beginnings. (Summary may change)  
**Warnings (and Spoilers):** Various JLA/JLU Episodes

**Disclaimer:** Don't own Batman, Wonder Woman or any Justice League Unlimited character. All owned and copy righted by DC.

* * *

**01. The Date**

_**Spoilers:** Justice League Unlimited (S5, E4 - To Another Shore)

* * *

He should have seen it coming. He was supposed to be the world's best detective; he should have spotted it a mile away. _

Alfred knew about it, and given his childlike burst…in his eyes at least, so did at least half of the league.

Her words still rang in his mind. The fact that they were playing in a loop on the bat-computer, did not help matters.

"_King has asked me out for dinner."_

------

Earlier,

He had been in the cave and just like always, he was monitoring the Watchtower monitoring system while carrying on his usual Gotham City duties.

A whistle and a comment from Green Arrow drew his attention to the screen.

"Looking good Diana. Another conference?" The Emerald Archer commented with his patent leer. Even though Oliver Queen and Dinah Lance, the Black Canary were officially a couple….even in the league, it didn't stop the blonde Casanova Queen from commenting on his teammates, his female teammates, or any female in general. That being said, he was faithful to Canary….for now.

"Not tonight Oliver," Diana smiled as she checked her knee length, spaghetti strapped white and blue dress; her jacket conveniently draped over one arm. "Tonight it's a private commitment, dinner and a movie."

"Dinner and a movie?" Flash piped up from the control console. Ever since J'onn had taken a leave of absence from the league, the other members, especially the executive council members, were pitching in to balance the workload. "Diana's got a date. With whom? Someone we knew?"

Flash hinted towards a name that none of them was ready to speak out aloud. For all they knew, he might be watching, which he was.

"No Flash, I don't think so," Diana made it a point to use her teammate's codenames, especially of those whose identity was still a secret, chief among them being Flash, Superman and of course, Batman. "Although, you might have heard of him. King Faraday."

"King Faraday, King Faraday," Flash ran through his internal roster within half a second. "No, nope, don't think so. Who is he?"

"Isn't that the guy from that boat saving mission we had, on the Artic or Antarctic or wherever," Green Arrow concluded correctly. "That secret agent."

"Yes," Diana nodded, plugging in her codes to check out from the tower. Ever since the CADMUS affair and the tower breaches, the security system had been overhauled, making it impossible for anyone to get on or off the tower without entering the proper access codes…both ways. "The same."

"You are going out with that guy," Flash exclaimed in surprise. 'Under Bats' nose,' he wanted to add, but remained silent…mostly for his own good. Hey, if it didn't work for them, even though he was rooting that it would, who was he to interfere.

----

Back in the cave,

Batman was shocked into silence at what he was observing on the view screen. He couldn't believe his eyes and ears. He knew that the possibility existed that Diana might move on, he knew that it could happen. What did he expect, that she would continue pining after him, a man who kept on pushing her away…..every time.

So, she was leaving him alone for good, and try her luck elsewhere. Wasn't that what he wanted? Wasn't that what he had trying to get her to do…all this time?

So why did it feel as if he had been shot through the heart and skewered at the same time…with a hot poker?

Pulling on his mask, he walked to the cave teleporter and brought up the watchtower co-ordinates. Seconds later, he entered the cylindrical tube and was turned into energy particles, which were then sent through space to the Justice League Watchtower, orbiting high above the earth.

Reaching the watchtower, he made his way to where he knew the others, namely Diana, Wally and Oliver were, the control room. He knew that he wouldn't have to give any reason for his sudden appearance, no one would dare ask him for a reason….no one except her, and she didn't care any longer…did she?

----

"So where are you…." Flash stopped mid-sentence at the dark shadow that appeared in the doorway. "Hey Batman's here!" His exclamation drawing the other's attention towards the Dark Knight, his grey and black clad body absolutely sculpture still, except for the gently billowing cape, which the artificially circulated air was waving at the edges.

Giving the room his usual once over, so as not to attract any undue attention, he walked to one of the control panels and began doing one of the many redundant checks he had built into the watchtower system for such a purpose. When people think that you are busy and not listening, they tend to say to do things that they normally wouldn't do….and that is the time when a good detective keeps his/her eyes and ears open, and who is a better detective than the Batman? No one.

His super-fast and therefore super-short attention having done with the Caped Crusader, resumed its focus on the out-of-uniform Wonder Woman. Except for her world famous face and the ever present bracelets adorning her wrists and forearms, Diana looked just like any other normal _human_ woman, and not like an Amazon and probably the strongest woman on Earth.

"So, as I was asking," Flash rattled off again, slowing down when he noticed the way Diana's eyes bored into Batman's back. "Where are you guys going?" He ended a little louder than usual, drawing Diana's attention back to him. Looking around, he smirked. Green Arrow had slipped away. He and Batman, those two didn't fit too well. Maybe it was because they were too much like each other, yet different. Both were industrialist, although Wayne Enterprises and its subsidiaries were much larger than Queen Industries was, or maybe it was because both were human, or maybe because both were vigilantes in their cities…who knew.

"I don't know as yet," Diana managed a weak smile. "It's a surprise. King said," she deliberately took her date's name, hoping against hope that it would have some affect on Batman's stoic form, but to no avail. He stayed the way he was, his fingers just as nimble on the keyboard as they had been a second ago. "He said, its small place, nothing that would attract attention of the paparazzi."

"Hmm," Flash nodded in confirmation. Having a secret identity allowed him the luxury of moving around like a normal person, something that _publicly open_ superheroes like Wonder Woman didn't have. "Good thinking."

"Well, when you want to find a way, you can," although Diana replied to Flash, her words were meant for the third entity in the room. "Especially for me."

"Yeah, I guess so," Flash nodded vigorously, slurping from the super-duper-extra-large Flash size pop he was gulping down. "That's why I keep a secret identity. Helps a lot in situations like these."

"Oh, that's not what I meant," Flash had unwittingly given Diana the perfect opportunity for her answer. "What I meant was, King is human, while me, I am from an island of immortal amazons."

"I get it now," another series of nods from the Speedster.

"Besides I am just thankful he was able to overcome any issues he might have had," that was another jab at the _rich kid with issues_ comment from the Dark Knight. Batman remained silent. He knew that both previous answers had been for him, to show him that, if one…if he wanted he could have; no, not now…he could have had the same thing. Now, now, it was too late.

"Well I guess, I better get going," Diana stood up and straightened to her almost six feet height. "I don't want to be…." She stopped at the sudden movement from Batman's side. 'Say something Bruce,' she urged silently. 'Anything. Even your usual speech about dating will do.' She knew that she wouldn't stop tonight. She had made a commitment and was going to honor it….but just a few words, even a single word from the man now walking out the door would help…have helped. 'Just show me for once that you care,' she thought too late. Batman had already left the room.

-----

"You better get going Di," Flash reminded her as he turned back to his monitor duty. "Don't want to keep your date waiting, do you?"

"No, I guess not," Diana smiled at the younger male, who over the last few years had become a sort of brother to her. "Goodnight Wally," as no one was within hearing distance, she used his real name.

"Goodnight Di," Flash smiled back at her, adding mischievous wink for encouragement. "Go paint the town red."

Shaking her head at the _red_ comment, Diana started towards the teleporters, stopping short when she neared it. Standing not ten feet from her, manning the control panels was the last person she wanted to she right now….Batman. From the looks of it, he was running yet another set of tests on it.

"Are the teleporters working?" She didn't ask Batman but to the half scared technician standing next to him.

"Yes," the bespectacled man nodded vigorously, his mental status bordering on full freak mode at the presence of the two league giants. "Just running a few tests," he jerked his head towards the silently working Batman. "It will done soo….."

"Done," Batman ended that line of conversation. "Please step on it," he lifted a gloved hand, gesturing to Diana to climb onto the raised platform.

"New York city, Themiscyrian Embassy," Diana stated her destination, the embassy's coordinates already in the teleporter database.

Even though he showed no emotions, Diana knew that his lens-covered eyes were following her every move.

Stepping onto the platform, she turned around and looked straight ahead, her clenched jaw relaxing at the exact time the teleportation started, her ruby red lips uttering just one word.

"Sadist."

**

* * *

Note:** This is a different (and longer) take on the 'To Another Shore' episode of JLU. The first one was a sort of a PWP oneshot between Bats' and Wondy, and was straightforward. This one is not going to be like that. 

BTW…don't forget to review!


	2. Eyes and Ears

**02. Eyes and Ears**

**Author:** BatmanWolverine  
**Rating:** PG15  
**Summary:** One sees and the other hears….and I am not talking about the actual eyes and ears here. Read on, you'll get the idea.  
**Spoilers:** Justice League Unlimited (Starcrossed, To Another Shore)

* * *

'Sadist, Sadist, Sadist….." the word was still echoing in Batman's ears as he reappeared in the Bat-cave, his fists clenched tightly at his sides.

He wasn't a sadist, he wasn't…..Masochist more like it. He had sent her away time and again, both by his actions and his words, and tonight…..tonight, he inflicted yet another wound on himself by transporting, well teleporting her to the Themiscyrian Embassy for her _date_ with another man. What could be a bigger show of his masochism than this?

'Good work soldier,' the Bat patted him on the proverbial shoulder. 'Its best for the mission.'

Yes, the mission. That was the only thing that mattered to him, the Batman. The cold, unfeeling, unemotional, calculating…robotic Batman. That was who he was.

Then why was he tracking Diana's comm. signal and hacking into the New York traffic control system and the security system of the restaurant that she had just stepped into? Why was he….

"Ah, voyeurism," a cultured British voice interrupted his ongoing internal conflict. "It seems to be the craze nowadays. Never thought the Batman would subscribe to such childish behavior. Then again, the world's greatest detective….."

"Its for a case," the fact that the Batman gave a clarification for any action of his, didn't go unnoticed by the man who had wiped the Caped Crusader's ass and Bat-diapered him years ago.

"The case of the missing Princess perhaps," the ex-thespian deadpanned. "However, that sounds like a mystery that would come from the mind of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, suited more for Sherlock Holmes than for Dark Knight of Gotham."

Realizing that he had put his foot in his mouth, one time too many, Batman elected to remain silent and change the display on the screen. He had already entered the appropriate directions into the computer. Wherever Diana's comm. signal went, meaning, wherever Diana went, the cameras there would start recording her, sending the video footage directly to the Bat-cave and not to their usual destinations.

"I'm going on patrol," he grunted as he stood up and started towards the bat-mobile. He would analyze the video on getting back…..in seclusion, once Alfred had retired for the night.

"Very well sir," the butler answered in affirmation, both feeling sorry and slightly angry with employer. He knew about Bruce's feelings towards the Amazonian Princess, feeling that he knew and had even seen for himself, were shared and readily reciprocated. He also knew that Batman did not have any feelings for anyone. He did not allow them to develop in the first place….and if, by some stroke of unearthly luck, feelings did develop and come into play, he made it a point to end them. It was either that or his oft used alternative…..he would do everything in his power to force the cause of those feelings, the person responsible for them, away from his and his life, leaving him alone….and lonely as before.

The aging eyes of Alfred Pennyworth had seen this happen time and again, not only with the fairer sex but also with people of the same sex as his master. Dick Grayson aka Robin I aka Nightwing, was a prime example.

However, he had hoped that this would not be the case this time….not with her. Miss Diana, as he had taken to calling her, seemed the ideal choice for the both Batman and for Bruce Wayne, a gift by gods in the true sense of the words. Alfred had grown fond of the superheroine known as Wonder Woman, during her and Master Jones's stay at the manor after the first watchtower was destroyed in the alien invasion and during the construction of the second, current watchtower. J'onn spent most of his time in the bat-cave working and it was Alfred who kept the Princess company and vice versa. It was at that time that he realized, the regal Amazon harbored feelings towards the Dark Knight….feelings that were more than just friendly. It was during that stay that he saw a glimpse of the same feelings in the otherwise closed Bruce…..feelings that only grew as time went on, until they reached a point where the Bat stepped in and started stomping on them.

Standing in silent vigil he watched as the futuristic vehicle pulled out of its parking space and drove off into the dark.

He had nothing more left to say….nothing that he hadn't said times before.

-----

Elsewhere,

"You look especially beautiful Princess," King Faraday complemented Diana for third or was it the fourth time, she didn't pay much attention to….her ears were catching the conversation going on around them.

"Oh, did you say something?" She almost missed that comment. "Sorry, I was trying to read the menu."

"Don't worry, here take mine," King smiled and handed her his menu, the one in English. They were in an exclusive Japanese restaurant and Diana had been mistakenly handed the menu printed in Japanese. "I didn't know you spoke and read Japanese, and what I said earlier was that you looked very beautiful tonight Princess, although I am sure that this complement is nothing compared to what you must be used to receiving on a daily basis."

"I am trying to learn Japanese," Diana handled first things first, trying to control the tightness in her chest at the endearment Princess. "As a part of my ambassadorial duties, and as for the complement, thank you for that. However, I would appreciate it you didn't call me Princess. I am no longer a princess, haven't been for quite some time. Now I am just the Themiscyrian Ambassador."

"Well then Madam Ambassador…." King started good-naturedly.

"Diana," Diana interrupted him. "Just Diana. Or do you want me to go back to addressing you by your formal title, Agent Faraday?"

"Touché," the silver haired man grinned a lop sided grin. "Well then…Diana, before we order, I would like to thank you once again for agreeing to this date."

"The pleasure is mine King," Diana returned with a smile. Opening up the menu lying before her, she started skimming through it, her ears subconsciously resuming their earlier work, keeping an _ear_ out for any danger and listening to the comments from the other patrons. However, what neither she nor her date noticed was how the normally swiveling security camera had focused on them….and that it had been that way ever since they had taken their seats.

----

"Hey, that's Wonder Woman," a barely teenaged girl piped up from three tables across.

"No way," most probably her younger brother.

"Yeah way," the older sibling asserted forcefully. "See those bracelets, that's her. I've got her poster in my room and the Wonder Woman action figure too."

"You mean the Wonder Woman doll don't you?" The boy it seemed got whacked for his comment.

"Yeah, just like you have the Superman doll and the Flash doll and the Green Lan…."

"They are action figures," the boy harrumphed. "Action figures, not dolls, understood dumbo."

"You are dumbo." The fight was on. "If Superman and the other superheroes have action figures, then it is the Wonder Woman action figure…."

"No," the _'male'_ psyche raised its head. "She is a girl, and girls don't have action figures of them, they have dolls. See Barbi doll, Bratz doll, Wonder Woman doll."

"Action figure."

"Doll"

"Action figure." Whack.

"Doll." Pinch

"Mamma"

"Keep quiet you two, and I mean now."

"Yes sir," both together.

----

"Who is that she is with?" This question came from a group of six, sitting just a couple of tables to their right.

"Don't know," her female friend answered. "Never seen him anywhere. Must be one of those secret identity superheroes."

"No, don't think so," one of the two males in the group presented his point. "If they had a secret identity, do you think that they would come out in the open…like this?"

"Guess not," the woman who had made the superhero comment, sighed. "For a second I thought that it might be Superman."

"Superman?" That sent a round of chuckles around the table, even brining a small smile to Diana's lips. "No way is that guy Superman. For one, the hair color is all wrong. Superman has black hair, not white."

"Maybe he wears a wig?" The woman, who was incidentally his wife, returned. "Or maybe he is wearing one right now."

"Doesn't look like it," her sister _clicked_ a no.

"Too bad," the return came. "They both do look good together. Even their costumes are similar. You know the whole red, white and blue, and the stars and…."

"Yellow dear," the husband was treading on thin ice now, a fact made clear by the oblique glance he got for his interruption. "I mean, it is yellow."

"Whatever _dear_," the gritted answered effectively ended all input from his end.

"Hey, maybe it's the Batman," the youngest of the group piped up. "He wears a mask. Who knows what color hair he has or what he looks like….."

"Or even if he exists," her friend cut in. "No one ever sees him. I don't think he even exists. I think it is just something the other superheroes got together and made up. You know, to blame when anything goes wrong. That way, they get to stay in the clear."

"Then how do you explain what he does in Gotham?" The return quip was instant. "I've been to Gotham, even seen the bat-signal."

"The Bat-signal?" More than one person's interest was piqued now.

"Yeah," the center of attention whipped out a pen and began to draw on a tissue. "Its this huge bat. Only the police commissioner can use it, and they say it is only lit when any of the big criminals needs to be brought in, the ones that the police cannot handle by themselves."

"Hogwash," the woman who had made the Superman comment flipped her hand. "Its just for show. Even if there is some man who dresses up like a bat, it must be a police officer or someone paid by them, you know, like an actor. They pay him to show up and make a whole big deal of it."

"Will you get off it already," Diana could do nothing except try and keep her face expressionless at the Superman versus Batman battle that was taking place on the other table. "First you say that it is the Justice League who has created the Batman to blame in case anything goes wrong. Now you say that it is the Gotham Police."

"Well what do you expect me to say, that a man, a normal man, someone just like us, does all those things," Diana had stopped even trying to read now, her fingers clenching at the edges of the laminated paper. "There is no way that a normal human being can do all those things. Its not physically possible, and especially not if he wants to have a personal life."

"Yup," her supporter seconded her comment. "No way is it possible. No normal woman in her right mind is going to sit for that, not for a man like that. A personal life, he won't have the time to go out, not even for a date." The words echoed in Diana's ears.

'Not even for a date...Not even for a date….Not even...'


	3. Inner Conflicts

**03. Inner Conflicts**

**Author:** BatmanWolverine  
**Rating:** PG15  
**Summary:** The aftermath…..and a hint of the coming future.

* * *

It would be three days before Bruce saw Diana face to face and it would be as Batman and Wonder Woman on the League Watchtower. 'Face to Face,' because, since the night of Diana's date with King Faraday, Batman had gone over the almost three and a half hours worth of video footage with a fine toothed comb….over and over again. Right from the time, they met him to the time they parted company at the steps of the Themiscyrian Embassy.

King Faraday. Batman knew the name and remembered the man, having run into him….many years ago.

-----

_/Flashback/_

_He had finally tacked down Two-Face to his two-storey hideout. Its furniture layout, in typical Two-Face style, was arranged in two different ways. While half of it was in perfect alignment and upkeep, the other half, it was as neglected as could be._

_Busy fighting off the hired goons, he almost missed out on the one that seemed to get away. Whipping out his knife, the man lunged towards him, his attack deflected by a perfectly timed shot from the shadows._

_As surprised as Two-Face and his gang, his attention wavered, as he whipped around to face his mystery savior….uh, helper._

"_Okay, Everybody….FREEZE!" A silver haired man stepped out of the shadows, his gun grasped firmly between both hands. "You're all UNDER ARREST!"_

"_Not yet, we aren't," Two-Face grunted through his ever present half-grin. The next instant, he leapt across the invisible boundary between the two halves of the room, but not before pressing a concealed button under his overturned desk._

_**CLANG!** A solid steep partition fell from the roof, effectively cutting the room into two parts, with him and the stranger on one side and Two-Face and his cronies on the other._

_While the unknown overcoat clad stranger started banging on the steel panel, trying to use his…uh, fists to find a way out, the detective did not. Not loosing his cool, he felt around on the adjoining walls until he found a second button that would disengage the partition and remove it._

"_Two-Face got away," Batman almost commented at the statement of the obvious. Whoever this man was, he was seriously getting on his nerves. First, he stepped onto his investigation, second, he disturbed his attention, thus giving Two-Face the perfect opportunity to get away, and now, now he was talking incessantly, and not in the pun-filled Robin kind of way._

'_I could have captured Two-Face had it not been for him,' he growled internally as he turned around to face the other man. "Who are you?"_

"_My name is King Faraday," the man introduced himself. "Agent King Faraday."_

'_Should have known,' the Dark Knight scowled in irritation. 'Looks and acts the role.'_

"_I'm under assignment to recover the top-secret code stolen by Two-Face!" Faraday revealed further, throwing in an accusation for good measure, as he flashed his I.D. in the masked man's face. "And I would have had it if you hadn't busted in here before me. I've been keeping his place under surveillance for hours."_

_Still comparatively new on the job, Batman did the one thing he no longer did….to anyone. He apologized. "Sorry…I didn't know."_

_Slightly surprised himself at the sorry, Faraday nonetheless used to his advantage….or tried to, showing his 'government muscle'. "Well know this-this...whatever you are. Two-Face poses a risk to this Nation's Security! And no Costumed Vigilante, no matter how famous, is going to stop me from nailing him! From now on, Batman….stay out of my way!"_

_With that, both men parted company, with each of them after the same man, but for different reasons. While Faraday's main aim was to get the codes, no matter what the cost, which he later showed by shooting at the disfigured criminal, Batman's was to get Two-Face. Batman, who at that time was still hopeful for the man/men what once been one of his closest friends and allies, and who by a cruel twist of fate was split into two, was trying to just end Two-Face's rampage and bring him in. For him, one he got his hands on Two-Face, the codes would automatically come to him…..either that, or they would lose their value, as very few people knew their use and true worth._

_/End Flashback/_

----

_Analyzing_ the video once again, Batman noticed something…..once again. Although, except for the obligatory handshakes, they hadn't touched each other…and thank god for no good night kisses, mostly in part due to Diana's reluctance at being so forward, so soon….Bruce could see that from the time they got together to when they parted company, they seemed to relax and open up to each other. And although, there was no audio, he was able to see their expressions clearly and even lip-read some of the words, his _investigation_ reaching just one conclusion….every time.

They had a good time….she had a good time.

'Better than she ever did with you,' a voice snickered from inside him. 'Better than she had with Batman or Bruce Wayne.'

'No,' both the Bat and Bruce part of him shot back.

'She enjoyed herself in Paris,' Bruce put forth. 'I could see it in her eyes. She liked it.'

'Yeah, well, okay, you got me on that,' the contemptuous third voice acceded that much. 'But then what? She enjoyed herself; you enjoyed yourself, big deal. What happened next? She did her part, hell no; she did your part by coming forward and asking for completion of the dance…maybe something more. And what did you do? Tuck your bat-tail between your legs and run home like a whipped puppy.'

'She didn't ask me,' Bruce jerked his finger at the Bat. 'She asked him. He is the one who refused her.'

'The Batman has no time for such things,' the Bat answered coldly before softening himself….just a bit. 'Diana is a good friend; she's an excellent member of the team….'

'Aw, screw it,' the mystery voice silenced him. 'We've heard it before and so has she. Think of something new. Why don't you two just admit it? You screwed up. You like her as Batman and as Bruce Wayne, and still you pushed her away….which if you ask me, is a good thing. We don't want her cooties on us.'

'Cooties,' Bruce echoed in surprise.

'Who are you?' The Bat growled, wondering which part of Bruce Wayne's psyche was it this time.

'Yeah, cooties,' the mystery stepped out from the shadows, revealing an eight year old boy dressed as Batman. 'Girl cooties, eeewww!'

'You,' both Bat and Bruce exclaimed at the same time. It was him, them, whatever. It was Batman as he was when Modred turned him and three other leaguers into eight-year-old kids.

'Yeah, its me,' the youngster squeaked. 'You both like her,' he pointed to both grownups, 'both as Wonder Woman and as Diana. Still you can't get your act together. Either let her go or go to her. Instead what do you do? You act like me, an eight-year-old kid. You snoop and spy on her date, and then spend all this time analyzing it as if it were some big secret. You can't be all the things and you can't have all the things your way. That is something a kid, me, I would want.'

'What do you mean?' The Bat growled dangerously, as it had been him who had taken the Bruce part's need to be close or at least keep an eye on Diana, and had set the cameras for surveillance.

'What I mean is, you want her to be close to you, yet you want her to stay away, all because of your reasons, that, if you ask me, can be easily overcome…..as you have already seen. And now that she is giving what want you wanted, now that she is leaving you alone, you don't want her to do that either, not just because she is giving up on you, but because she is turning to someone else. You are acting just like a kid who doesn't want to play with a toy of his, but cries when anyone else tries to play with it.'

'Diana is not a toy,' Bruce tried to intercede, but was neglected by both Bats, the older one and the younger one…who right now was on a full-fledged hissy-fit.

'You should forget his dream of having little batboys or wondergirls flying around in the cave with papa Bat and mamma Amazon looking over them,' the younger Bat once again spoke of the dream that Bruce had had….more than once. 'After all, you will have to kiss her to make babies. You already did that once. Thank your luck that she didn't get a baby then.'

'What do you mean,' both older personalities were lost, their psyches going for a spin at the younger and more talkative personality's next words.

'Don't babies come when a boy and girl kiss?'

----

Meanwhile, in New York,

Diana too had a tug of war going on within herself….and that was something she wasn't used it.

It had started soon after King departed for the night. In all truth, it had started much before that. She had felt the first pulls when the man she then addressed as Agent Faraday had asked her out. It had been the day after the funeral ceremony the League had conducted for the salvaged Viking ship and its lone occupant.

If she had been surprised by the invitation, she had been shocked at even thinking about accepting it. It wasn't the first time that she had received such a proposal, however, what had been a first was that she had accepted it.

'You go girl,' a bubbly voice called out from within her. 'This will show that Batman who is the Princess of these here places.'

'What? Who?' Diana's first instinct was whirl around and check for any other presences. However, seeing that she was in her room, alone, and it was late at night, she soon realized that it was not an external voice, but something from within her. She soon ruled out the telepathy option too….the voice was her own. 'Who are you?' She asked, nothing bothering to question the _where_ part. That she already knew. Whoever this person or entity was, it was inside her.

'I am you,' the answer was easy enough as the _person_ in question came forward.

'Me?' Diana almost spoke aloud, her eyes widening at the clothing she, her doppelganger was wearing.

'Oh, this,' the other caught her thoughts. Placing her hands at her hips in typical Wonder Woman fashion, she showed off her costume. 'Just decided to try something new.' The _new_ costume was as different as one could get from the normal Wonder Woman costume. Gone was the red, yellow and blue combination, as was gone the golden WW signet. In its place was a dark blue, almost black leather top and shorts, the shorts having the usual white stars on it, white a yellow waist with the twin-W's in place of the belt-buckle. It extended to her midsection, with two straps and buckles joining the two sides. The top consisted of the same blue colored and was in the form a bikini top, with the two halves joined by crisscrossing straps, both sporting the same silver buckles as the ones over her midsection. Also different were the now present gloves and matching boots, both ending just above the joints, the wrist for the gloves and the ankle for the boots. Draped over her bare shoulders was the final piece of the new ensemble, a short leather navy blue jacket, its lining the same yellow as that of her waist band. There was one side on either side, just where the swell of her breasts started, and a WW lining at the midsection, similar one again to that on her shorts.

'So, what do you think?' Diana didn't know how to answer the question. 'It-it is….different'

'Hmm,' the inner Diana looked down at herself and shrugged. 'You think. The leather is nice touch. A stroke of genius if I do say so myself. However, that's nothing compared to what you are doing. Way to go. You'll surely get him to cave in this way.'

'Him?' Diana questioned hesitantly. Somehow she knew that this _him_, her doppelganger was talking about….he wasn't the man she had just had a date with. In fact, she had not such….such intimate thoughts about it. She had just agreed and gone on the date as a change from her usual routine.

'Bruce. Who else?' The leather clad Diana smiled mischievously. 'Who else are you doing this for? And don't tell me that he wasn't on your mind. I am from your and know everything you know. I know that even though you had a great time, even though you enjoyed the food, the company, the talk, especially King's failed attempts at jokes, you wondered, no, you wished that the person sitting across from you had black hair, a slightly more angular face, a more muscular body, a body decorated with the scars of his war against crime. You even wished that instead of that posh Japanese restaurant, you were in that small, homely Indian restaurant in Metropolis, playing tongue hockey with Mr. Tall-Dark-n-Batty.'

'No I didn't,' Diana refused, almost blanching at the language the other woman….the language that was coming from within her.

'Language Princess,' once again the thoughts were caught. 'Me, I am a new development….a fairly recent one. Don't you want to know how I am this way….where I came from?'

'Yes,' Diana nodded.

'Well, for one, I am you, that much you already know,' the explanation began. 'I am your creation, a part of your complete personality. The part that has formed and grown ever since you ran away from home to come to man's world. Hence, my garb, language and behavior. Although you would never be like me, in your naiveté curiosity, you always wondered and still wonder why do women here dress and act the way they do? You can't deny that. I know it.'

Once again, the truth of her own thoughts silenced Diana.

'As for why I broke away from the rest of you and came forth….it is because you are alone, lonely, have no one to talk to.'

'That's a lie,' Diana was quick to respond.

'Is it?' The quirked eyebrow was a familiar gesture, one of her own. 'Don't bother by telling me their names. Kal, J'onn…..Bruce, Wally,' that name was spoken with a burst of laugher that ended abruptly as the non-Wonder Woman Diana continued. 'If you notice, all three of them are men. You have no female companionship….no sisters. Those who work under you at the embassy, look up at you with awe. Same is the case with the younger female members of the leagues. Face it, the last _sister_ you had in man's world, the one you could open up to, was Shayera, and we both know what she did.'

Diana remained silent as she recalled the Thanegarian invasion and Hawkgirl's betrayal. It had hurt Diana…deeply, and even though, they had made up since then, bonding over their mission in Tartarus, things weren't the same as they had been before the invasion.

'You see now,' the inner Diana continued. Not having anyone to talk to, question, tell you thoughts to, is making you turn inwards….to yourself, your loneliness and conflicts resulting in your truly.'

'I understand,' Diana acceded with a sigh. 'What do I do? I didn't consciously decide to accept King's invitation to make Bruce jealous. I understand…no, I accepted his need to for solitude for his mission. I tried to convince him by every means I…..'

'And how many _means_ do you know?' She was interrupted. 'You know, he was right. You are from an island of Amazons. You didn't grow up with exposure to men, and the first and until King, only man you felt attracted to, turned out to be the most honorable, fearless and Oooohh….hot man you ever have laid your eyes on. However, he is also the most hardheaded, closed off, obstinate, jerk of a man you have…will ever cross paths with.'

----

'What do I do n….?' Diana's question was interrupted by a ring of the phone. It was King Faraday on the line, and covering the pleasantries part he quickly got to the point. "Diana, I really had a good time the other night."

"Me too King," Diana answered gracefully.

"Would you like to do it again sometime?" His next question was just as straightforward.

Pushing down the hesitation rising within her, Diana answered with a yes. "Sure. Lets see when our schedules match."

"Thanks," she sensed something else on its way. "And as for the schedule, don't worry. I have a feeling that it will match sooner than you know….for quite sometime."

"What do you mean?" Suspicion and confusion filled her words.

"As I told you, don't worry," King responded with a chuckle. "Let it be a surprise. I'll end this call with a good night and a see you soon."

"Soon, The last word echoed from Diana's lips.

"Goodnight Diana," King repeated.

"Goodnight Ki…." And the call ended.

-----

"Oh Hera. What do I do now?" Diana frowned at the laughs coming from within her.

'Don't look at me,' the leather clad form stepped back towards the shadows. 'I am just you. Find someone else to talk to.'

"Find some else to talk to." This time the words were spoken aloud. "Who do I turn to?"

What she did not know, was how soon this soon would come and where and the problems it would bring with it.

**

* * *

Spoilers:**

**1. Comics -** Batman (#313, #314)  
**2. Animated -** Justice League Unlimited (Maid of Honor, Starcrossed, This Little Piggy, The Once and Future Thing, The Balance, To Another Shore)

**

* * *

Notes: Hope you liked the Batman introspection. I know I do it quite often, but what do you expect with a man who doesn't open up to anyone. He only has himself to talk to.**

As for the Batman-King Faraday meet-up, just got hold of these old issues and it just called out to me.

As for Diana's 'new' costume, that too is from the comic series.

Please review!


	4. The Liaisons

**04. The Liaisons**

**Author:** BatmanWolverine  
**Rating:** PG15  
**Summary: **Diana get her surprise and gets ready to give one of her own.

* * *

"That teleporter of yours', it's a real nifty thing," he stopped short, his eyes narrowing behind his cowl. "We could use a couple of them, maybe one each in the White House and the Capitol, would save a hell a lot on Presidential security."

'What is he doing here? What is he doing on the Watchtower?' A growl burbled in his chest. It had been three days since he had last been here, three days since he last saw Diana, face to face, three days since he breathed her naturally sweet scent…..three days since her date with him, the man whose voice was still ringing in his ears.

---

"Like I was saying…." King Faraday stopped mid-sentence, his trained eyes catching the sudden stiffening of the Amazonian beauty accompanying him. "Diana….." He lifted his hand to her shoulder, stopping at the guttural voice from the door. "Wonder Woman. Conference room."

That was all the voice said as the shadow it came from disappeared from view.

"What's he doing here?" King turned towards a still tense Diana, her eyes stuck at space where the dark form had been. "I….We didn't know he was with you guys, was a member of the League."

"He isn't," Diana's answer was clipped. Smiling an equally tight smile, she took the air. "I am sorry King…."

"No, no…no big deal," the silver haired man flipped his hand. "I know, duty calls." That got a small but real smile for him. "Just point me to the nearest coffee machine and I'll be set."

"There is one in the cafeteria. Just take the first right that way," Diana pointed to the corridor going left. "And you'll be there."

"Okay then," a set of pearly white teeth flashed at Diana. "See you there. Maybe we could do lunch?"

"I…I'd like that," Diana responded after a second's hesitation, taking off the next moment, with King taking the path to the cafeteria.

----

"Out," Seated at the conference table, Flash, Fire and Supergirl, almost leapt off the ground at the way Batman barged through the door. Seeing them frozen, Batman sent a particularly cold Bat-glare their way, his lips uttering just one word. "_NOW_."

"Sheesh, what's his problem?" Kara muttered under her breath, shutting up at way Batman's head jerked towards her. 'He heard me!' This time her words were just thoughts. 'How did he hear me? At this volume, only Clark or Krypto should be able hear me….not normal hum….uh, well, not even him.'

At the door, they were met by an equally ticked off Diana, except in her case; she wore her emotions on her proverbial sleeve.

"Better get ready Diana, he's in a mood." For his _joking_ heads up, Wally got gritted teeth and a very un-Diana but incredibly Bat-like scowl.

Whatever it was that had both Bats' and Diana riled up, it wasn't going to be pretty.

---

Entering the conference room, Diana found Batman tapping away at the computer.

"Sit." He grunted without even looking up at her.

"I prefer to stand," Diana managed to answer. What she really wanted to say was that I am not your pet to command.

Already on her guard at King's sudden appearance, she wasn't sure whether the answer had come out of her annoyance towards King or the infuriating man sitting before her.

Having finished with whatever he was working on, Batman stood up, vacating his seat for Diana.

"Read this," his voice was as emotionless as ever.

"What is this?" Diana stepped forward, wondering what the information was all about.

"It's the League protocols for all members, general as well as executive. Read point seven."

"Bruce….." Diana started by was cut off by a cold reminder from the Dark Knight.

"Batman, Princess," he corrected her. "Read the seventh point."

"I know what it says, Batman," Diana's shields were up. "And its not what you think?"

"Its not?" White eye-slits narrowed at the Amazonian. "If you remember what it says, then you should know that personal guests are not allowed on the watchtower. This is not a public place….or a Japanese restaurant."

----

Diana felt as if he had just slapped her. 'How did he…?' She stopped that thought midway. 'Of course he would know. He knows everything.'

"He is not my guest," she fired off at him. "He is the new appointee liaison between the US government and the League."

Early that morning, King Faraday had arrived at the Themiscyrian Embassy with his 'surprise'. Just like many other countries around the world, the US government had also appointed it liaison for better contact and relations with the League. The liaison would be responsible for setting up and facilitating smooth relations. This was in an effort to avoid the whole Luthor-CADMUS debacle.

---

Batman had no answer to combat this; however, being the escape artist that he was, he found a way to find a way out, but not before listening to Diana's next words.

"And moreover, Batman," again she stressed on the Batman. "It is none of your business what I do in my personal time. Now if you excuse me, I have someone waiting for me." With that she turned around and started for the door, her steps halting at what Batman said next.

"It is when it affects the league."

"What do you mean?" She whirled around to face him, stepping back at the sudden proximity. Taking two quick steps, Batman had spanned the distance between them and was now standing precariously close to her….closer than he usually did.

"Its interesting that it's Agent Faraday who has got the liaison post," his commented sarcastically. "Seeing that he has no prior experience in this field."

"So?" Diana asked in confusion. Before taking up the ambassadorial position for her homeland Themiscyra, she also didn't' have any experience. "He'll get it now."

"I am sure he will," the upturned corner of Batman's lips wasn't to portray his happiness, rather his amusement. "That's why he got the job. That and his close personal relationship with a League founding member."

"What do you mean Bruce?" To hell with codenames, Diana had had enough of it. As far as she was concerned, Batman's paranoia had just stepped over the boundaries.

"There have been reports in various newspapers and other media outlets about your recent soirees with Agent Faraday," the cold, hard Bat was in full force too. "I am sure his seniors must have taken into account his relationship with you and the advantage that it would provide to their man inside the League."

"We are NOT in a relationship," The scrunch of superhuman fingers closing around metal accompanied Diana's bellow.

----

Calming herself, she repeated her previous answer…slowly. "My familiarity with Agent Faraday had got nothing to do with his appointment."

"Of course it hasn't," Once again his tone said otherwise. "That's why a position that had been vacant for the last six weeks was suddenly filled by a man whose name wasn't even on the list."

"How do you…?" This time the words did come out before Diana could stop herself. Knowing from experience that she was fighting a losing battle of words, she decided to give and leave.

However, stopping at the door, she did make one last comment.

"Even if it is," She acceded that much. "It will work in our favor…otherwise the League will handle it."

"It will have to," Batman shot back, cursing himself at not being able to contain himself. Normally the prime example of self-control, he was still trying to find that control with Diana. He had tried time and again, using everything he knew….only to fail, forcing him to start from scratch.

"Then we will see it when and if it comes to that," Diana returned just as heatedly. "Until then, I suggest you keep your attention on your little city….and stop snooping around and interfering with other people's lives, especially mine." With that, she did leave.

---

The next day,

'I don't have to do this,' Diana told herself, only to have her newly formed inner doppelganger chuckle at her.

'Oh yes, you do,' the leather clad inner Diana nodded her head at her. 'Its either that or sit around talking to me.'

'I don't even know how or what I am supposed to talk about,' the plain clothed zero-number glasses clad Diana stepped away from the door of the building she was standing in front of.

'Oh yes, you do,' once again the same answer. 'You are here to confirm that what Bruce has said is true. Oh, sorry, my mistake,' her twin seemed to reveal at her wallowing. 'Not Bruce, Batman. He told you to call him Batman.'

'Shut up,' Diana threatened, getting only an amused shake of the head in return.

'I'll do that,' the other softened slightly. 'Just talk to someone. You know it will help you. Even if what he said is wrong, which we both know isn't likely, it will help you relieve some of your burden. You made it till here, now its just a question of a few more steps, and you'll be there. Do it Diana….for us.'

Surprised by the unexpected support, Diana steeled herself and stepped through the revolving doors, making her way to the high-speed elevators.

----

A couple of minutes later,

"Good morning and welcome to the Daily Planet," the overtly happy, caffeine hopped welcome-lady greeted Diana. "How may I assist you?"

"Good morning," Diana returned the greeting.

"Ms. Lois Lane, please."


	5. Woman 2 Woman

**05. Woman 2 Woman**

**Summary:** A her and her talk session.

* * *

"Ms. Lane," Lois Lane, ace reporter and _better half_ of the one of the most if not the most famous superheroes on the planet didn't even bat an eye at the female voice addressing her. 

"Yes, please have a seat," she offered without looking up. "What can I do for you Ms…?"

"Prince, Diana Prince," lost in a heap of paper evidence for her latest piece; the Pulitzer winning journalist's mind did not recognize the familiar voice.

"Yeah, yeah, have a seat," she offered again, frowning slightly at having to repeat herself. If only this Ms. Prince would sit her butt down and get to eye level, it would avoid her having to lift her head and lose her line of thought.

"Thank you," Diana gracefully occupied the slightly worn out seat. "I was wondering if I could have a bit of your time."

"Why?" Lois flipped through the pages in her hand. She had a deadline to meet, and even though it was a week away, she was working herself to the bone. After all, you don't win Pulitzers by slacking off.

"I wanted to talk to you," Diana answered a bit uneasily, thinking that perhaps this idea of an impromptu visit wasn't such a good one after all. 'Well, you just couldn't ask Kal to set up a meeting. Could you?' Her inner voice grinned at her. 'Or even better, call her yourself from the Watchtower. That way Bruce would know about it for sure.'

"Sorry Ms. Prince," Lois answered unrepentantly. "In case you didn't notice. In this place, the person sitting on this side of the table does the interviewing. Now if you…."

"Lois," Diana had had enough of this. "Its me, Diana."

"What do you…." Lois finally raised her head, angry at the way the strange woman pushed the paper in her hand down. "Holy sh….oh god, its YOU." Her voice rose in crescendo as she finally saw who dared to commit such insolence, her eyes nearly bugging out of their sockets. Even with the plain clothes, the conspicuous absence of her tiara and a set of zero power glasses, the regal Wonder Woman was clear, especially when the person seeing her had a critical eye, one that she had trained even further after being duped for years. Ever since Lois came to know that Clark Kent and Superman were the one and same person, she had been trying real hard to ascertain which other superheroes lived a _'in plain sight'_ existence.

"Ssssh," Diana shushed her, her doe like eyes darting around to see if anyone else had caught onto her secret. Thankfully no one had. It seems that such outbursts in the Daily Planet's head office, especially from the livewire Lois.

"He isn't here," Lois supplied instantly, her curiosity piquing at the knowing nod that the Amazon answered with.

"I know," Diana whispered in an equally low tone. She knew that Kal would be out of office, _'on a field assignment'_ and had planned her visit accordingly. "I came to meet you."

"_ME?_" Lois squeaked loudly quickly getting her bearings. "Me?" the second time was lower and calmer.

"Yes," Diana nodded in confirmation, her eyes once again checking out the people nearby. She wanted to have a private talk with Lois, woman to woman, and not an international news piece. "Can we….are you free."

Lois instantly caught onto the unease in the ex-princess and current Themiscyrian Ambassador.

"Want to go somewhere else?" She asked and did not even wait for an answer. "GOING OUT," She yelled over shoulder, most probably for the benefit of the chief-editor and head honcho, Perry White. "Come, lets go," she stood up, grabbed her purse, ID and trusty voice recorder and a stupefied Diana, all in a single breath, literally pulling the superhuman Amazon like a rag doll behind her.

For her part, Diana was one part relieved, one part stunned and one part scared spitless. She had heard tales about Lois's energetic nature from Clark, even seen it a couple of times on the television, but she had never been on the receiving end of Lois's take charge moves.

Seeing the human female move like this, made for a rather amusing thought rise from the teasing doppelganger.

'Kal might be the one in tights, but we know now who wears the pants in this family.'

-----

"Uh, Lois, where are we going? Diana caught up with the on the move reporter, her left hand still firmly grasped within the other woman's right one.

"First of all, we are getting you out of here," Lois spoke without any loss of pace, her ever vigilant eyes keeping an eye out for eavesdroppers. "Seriously, a measly pair of reading glasses…..who did your disguise Diana? Clark? It works for him," she amended, still slightly miffed at her failure for not being able to see the man behind the _wimp_ act. "It is not going to work for you." 'Not with those in your face boobs of yours, it isn't,' she added mentally.

"Oh, ok," Diana answered suddenly feeling somewhat inadequate with her attempt to appear incognito. 'Face it Madam Ambassador,' the infuriating inner voice did not let this chance to rankle her slide. 'You don't know front from back about disguises. Maybe you should have asked Bruce to help you….'

"Shut up," Diana muttered under her breath. What was with this voice of hers? Be it anything, she had to have it somehow linked to Bruce. Fix an appointment, call Bruce. Need a disguise, call Bruce. Need to breathe, call Bruce.

'Good idea,' the last thought got a chuckle from that leather clad Diana. 'Memo to self, call Alfred to fix appointment with Bruce to discuss breathing.'

"Ugh," Lois looked up at the mumbling, grunting Diana, frustration clear on the Amazon's face. However, as they were in the elevator, she put of that question, and a horde of others.

----

"Sit," Diana silently followed Lois's _order_. They had entered into a plush yet cozy coffee shop located just a couple of minutes' walk from the Planet's building. From the way elderly man across the counter and the teenaged girl talking orders greeted Lois, it was clear that they were more than just passing acquaintents.

"Its safe here," those words confirmed Diana's hypothesis. "Also one more thing."

"Yes."

"If I yell out during the course of our talk, don't pay too much attention to it," Lois subtly jerked her head towards the two men sitting a couple tables from them. "The enemy," she murmured about them being employees of the Daily Planet's competition. "It's a trick we all use to play with each other. They might do the same. Sometimes we let something useful slide, just to jerk the others around, the rest of the time…."

"The rest of the time?" Diana asked bemused.

"The rest of time, well ever read the tabloids."

"Wha-oh," Diana caught on pretty quickly.

"Yup," Lois had a smug smile on her face. "I credit myself for some of those masterpieces. Especially the ones about Superman being a closet weirdo, him being bald, him creating love robots that look like him because he has a narcissistic streak. Like those."

"Why would you do that?" Diana asked in shock.

"Well, it was a long time ago," Lois got a wistful look in her eyes. "We were both younger, immature, well atleast I was. I had a serious crush going for this tight wearing, bullet deflecting, flying fellow, with the cutest dimple I ever saw. So being the kickass reporter I was, I tried my level best to find who he was when he wasn't saying damsels in distress. When I failed to get anything from my sources, I tried to waggle it out of him, trying to infuriate him with the tabloid reports."

"Did it work?" Diana's question was asked with more than a hint of disbelief.

"Sure it did," Lois thumped her fist on the table, making a loud show for the benefit of the eavesdroppers, all of them instantly turning their heads away from her. "I blackmailed him, and slam bang five years later he broke down and bawled his heart out at my feet."

"Sure he did," Diana barely stifled the laughter bubbling up her chest.  
"Well, that's how I remember it," Lois settled down and lowered her tone. "You've got to agree, its much more fun than him ringing my bell at night and tearing his shirt off to show me the 'S' underneath. I mean, I love the guy to death, but the way I came to know bat-secret was way more exciting than that."

'Need to ask Bruce about that too,' Lois's mention of the Bat and the amused chuckle from her inner doppelganger silenced Diana, all her previous mirth falling away.

"The….Bat?" She asked hesitantly.

"Yup," Lois nodded, quieting down as the young girl came around for their order. Once that was done, she resumed her recounting. "It was during the time Bruce and I were dating."

"Oh," Diana choked on her breath. 'Ha, ha, huhn, hmph,' even the inner Diana seemed to grow somber at this revelation. 'Perhaps Lois was not the right person to approach for an objective view,' she thought, knowing a little about the angry ex syndrome that was quite common in man's world.

"Oh, yeah," the way Lois smiled as she remembered her time with the Dark Knight threw Diana's disgruntled-ex theory for a loop. "You know I almost moved to Gotham. I was all ready to dump Metropolis and Mr. Blue tights in favor of the most eligible bachelor to come out from the city of gargoyles in the last fifty years if not more."

"Why didn't you?" Diana asked with morbid curiosity, almost not wanting to hear the answer to her question.

"Well, let's just say I didn't fancy the prospect being alone and worried out of my mind every single night of my life. I don't know whether you've noticed or not, but with Bruce the 'bat' is a bigger part of his life than the 'S' is with Clark. I mean, we all know Superman right, he has the whole invulnerability, super-speed, flight, vision thing going for him, and still I worry about him. With Bruce, it's a whole another ballgame. He has no powers, nothing, and still he acts and behaves like he can do everything any other hero can, and do it better, and you know what…."

"What?" Diana mumbled. It wasn't the first time she had heard or thought these things, but hearing it from Lois was as the reporter put it herself, a whole new ballgame.

"I bet if he put his mind to it, he'll find a way to do it," Lois supplied with more than a hint of reluctant awe.

----

"Is that why you broke up?" The Amazonian Princess asked, her own questions forgotten.

"You could say I was scared of living such a life," Lois accepted that part. "Or you could say what I Clark told me once, something that Bruce told him. He said, I liked Bruce Wayne and I like Superman, it's the other two guys I am not crazy about. If they could just interchange, things would be great for me. I might have agreed with Bruce then, but now, now the Smallville small town charm seems have grown on me. Ma Kent raised a good boy. Saves the world and still finds the time to the dishes with a flowery apron on."

Both women laughed at the mental picture of Superman complete in his red and blue costume, fighting for the League, with a lacy apron on.

"Enough about me," Lois flipped her hand as the young girl brought their order, a mocha latte for her and a super-large chocolate milkshake for Diana. "What did you want to talk about?"

"Oh, nothing," Diana tried to evade the subject, still not sure about whether she should talk about her dilemma with Lois now, given that the major cause of dilemma was known to the raven haired journalist…..known quite intimately.

"Nothing, huh," Lois mused not completely convinced about the answer. "You don't if I say something, would you?" She asked, and without waiting for an answer, she carried on. "Lets take it that you don't mind. You really need to take some lessons

"Lessons?" Diana asked in astonishment.

"Yup, lessons in lying. You can't lie to save your false disguise, let alone fool me. I make a living on these sort of things remember."

"Its-its nothing," Diana tried again, getting a disbelieving headshake for her dismal effort.

"Man trouble?" Lois shot out, the shock flashing in Diana's eyes confirming her vague suspicion.

"Why-no, its nothing Lois, seriously," Diana was ready to fly off, preferably through the shortest route, the roof.

"Umm-hmm," once again her words found no buyers.

"Its nothing I can talk about," Diana finally sighed.

"You mean nothing you can talk about to me," Lois played the emotional blackmail card, while giving a little bit in the trust department. "Don't worry anything between us will be off the record, unless you say otherwise or I am not the only one asking you questions."

Diana's somewhat relieved smile relayed her understanding. "Thank you."

"So you want to talk about it?" Lois asked again over a sip from her warm drink.

"Maybe later," Diana nodded, her wariness level down but still there.

"Suit yourself," Lois didn't push it anymore. "You can come over anytime, even at home. I'll just tell Clark to take a walk around the hemisphere. That should give us sometime."

"I'll think about it," Diana smiled graciously. "Thank you."

"Nah, don't mention it," Lois flipped her hand. At one time she might have been and indeed was wary of this demi-goddess, not because of her powers or anything, but because of her working in close quarters with Clark. Even though most of that semi-jealousy had faded away, leaving only the faded trail, she truly wanted to help her as friend. She had enough faith in her love and Clark's integrity to not let such a petty thing a woman, even the most beautiful woman in world come between them…..well ninety-nine times out of hundred. The other one time was allowed.

----

Almost an hour later, Diana found herself outside the restaurant, looking up at the globe on top of the Daily Planet. Even though she hadn't gotten any answers to her queries, Lois's revelations about Bruce only adding to her confusion. On one hand, it made her want to not only keep up her efforts to draw closer to him, it made her want to redouble them….he was worth it, while on the other, it all seemed futile and doomed for failure.

'Hey, but we are Wonder Woman,' her inner Bruce supporting voice piped up. 'We can do it.'

"Ugh, Hera," Diana wanted to scream out aloud. "Somebody please stop her."

'Stop you, you mean,' her cursing had no affect on the _pseudo-biker-chick_ persona. 'Look on the bright side. You have someone to talk to now.'

"Yes," Diana agreed to that much. Even if the meeting with Lois had yielded nothing fruitful on her _man-trouble_ area, it had given her someone she could talk to.

Stepping into an alley, she whirled around, her normal clothes magically giving way to her costume. As she took to flight, a decisive thought formed in her mind.

'I think I'll take up Lois's offer. Kal could walk Krypto or something.'

**

* * *

Note: Had planned to getting Diana to open up in this one, but Lois's banter drew me in. Maybe will have another meeting between the two beauties…..depending on future developments. **


	6. Hot Iron

**06. Hot Iron**

**Summary: **Early morning theatrics, some difficult questions…and some friendly advice

* * *

"Good morning Master Bruce." 

Alfred Pennyworth's _morning_ voice coupled with the drawn back curtains would have been enough to rouse the sleeping Bruce Wayne. The fact that he switched on the master bedroom's television only served as overkill.

"What time is it Alfred?" A sleep drugged voice asked from somewhere within the mass of pillows and fabric.

"It is seven-fifteen a.m. and time for you to wake up." Just the word seven was enough to make Bruce turn off his waking brain. There was no way that he was going to wake up at such an unearthly hour, not after just having fallen asleep just near two hours ago. Returning to the cave around four, he had spent the next hour and a half updating his records from the events of the previous night….Nothing major, just three break-ins, five tries at carjacking, one attempted robbery and some new nut in a homemade costume. The Fab-reeque, short for Fabric Freak, even if his name wasn't stupid enough, his MO was. Leaving strips of fabric at the places he would strike…that was his big plan, a different fabric for each time….all in the color magenta, cut in the shape of an 'F'.

Had it been anyone else, he would have broken down and rolled on the ground, laughing himself to tears…but not the Batman. By the time the Caped Crusader was done with him, not only was the _great_ Fab-reeque history, he was ready to spend the rest of his life…without ever seeing a piece of clothing, let alone wearing it. 'I'll be watching you.' A simple _warning_ and a call later, the wetted his pants, ex-mill-worker got carted away by Gotham's finest.

---

"Uhn," groaning in protest, Bruce dug in deeper into the plush warmth of the goose down pillows, pulling the bed sheet up as cover against the streaming sunlight.

"….Justice League."

Within an instant, all his sleep vanished into thin air, his eyes bleary yet alert, the Bat took over and pushed the man into seating position. The sound had come from the boob tube had jarred him awake, his vision clearing up to better see the picture.

"Agent Faraday," just the name was enough to bring a scowl on Bruce's face. Not even two hours of sleep, not to mention the memory of the past few days, the last the Dark Knight needed was the face of the man responsible for his recent sour mood.

It was some sort of press conference by the look of it, with the question and answer part of it just starting. Even without having followed it from the beginning, Bruce easily understood what it was for….to formally introduce the newly appointed liaison between the US Government and the Justice League…Special Agent King Faraday.

"Please, just call me King," Faraday flashed another of his _new_ media-friendly smiles. "With the new appointment, I am no longer working in my previous capacity so I am no longer a Special Agent, just another simple civil servant.

"Simple," Bruce grunted accepting the glass of orange juice that Alfred held out for him.

"Mr. Faraday," the reporter corrected himself. "What will be first course of action in your new position?"

"Thank you…..Mr. Jones is it?" Faraday made the whole show and tell that the beaureucratic community was wont to make, playing the general populous. "Well, the first thing will be for me to take charge of my new office and more importantly my coffee mug."

"Idiots," Bruce cursed at the laughter spewing forth from the gather crowd.

"No, seriously," King sobered up. "I will be endeavoring to meet and personally get to know the members of the League, especially those who work and live on US soil….as well as their allies."

"Can you provide us with any names at the moment?" Another question came up as a follow-up of that answer.

"I am sorry, but that will be against national security and the rules under which I will be working with the League."

"Do you mean to say…" a female reporter started as King pointed to her, "…that the League is maintaining secrets from the governments? If yes, then to what extent and doesn't that make this office of the liaison a farce?"

'Foot in the mouth,' Bruce smiled inspite of himself. He knew what all the League had agreed to reveal, just as he knew that nowhere was even the name Batman mentioned in it…or of any of his other associates, namely Nighwing, Batgirl and Robin.

"I cannot reveal the exact specifics of what had and will be revealed to our government or that of other nations," King played it safe. He knew what the League had declassified for release…the general specifics of their satellite headquarters, but no information about the funding behind it, its weapon capabilities, but nothing about their origins or specific designs, the names of the members, but not their secret identities or anything about their family and friends…and last but not the least nothing about the actual running of the League, in the sense of member allocation, meeting or power specifics.

"Mr. Faraday," a familiar dulcet yet all-business voice brought a smirk to Bruce's lips. This would be an interesting question. Standing up from her seat, Lois Lane, ace reporter for the Daily Planet and the _secret_ girlfriend of Superman, fired off a question that although on the mind of everyone present, no one had dared to ask.

"How will you recent involvement with Wonder Woman affect your office's working…and how much of a part has it played in your appointment to this position?"

----

_**Whammo!**_

It was as if some just exploded a 'quiet' bomb in the room, such was the silence. Moreover, although the smile on Bruce's face fell into a tight line, it was incomparable to the reaction it got from a certain Amazon who even as Lois worded her question, lost her grip on the plate she was holding, her breakfast spreading out and staining the plush carpet.

Standing next to the six-seating table in the private kitchen of the Themiscyrian Embassy in New York City, Diana could not believe her ears at what Lois had just asked. With her cleverly disguised words, the Pulitzer Prize winning reporter had all but declared that there was something going on between her and King and that was because of that relationship that he got the job…and that he, and maybe even Diana would be using that relationship to get him an extra _push_ in the League.

'Just like Bruce.' The infernal inner voice of hers piped up. 'Oh, not Bruce, you are to call him Batman.'

'Will you please maintain silence?' Diana cringed at herself. Now more than ever, she wasn't repenting….in fact she felt thankful for not having talked to Lois about her dinner date with King or Bruce's insinuation that the only reason….the main reason that King got the job in the first place was because his seniors noticed the potential of an advantage that this particular non-candidate would have.. Not only that, but they hoped to exploit it for their man on the inside.

'That's two-zero princess…or should I say, two-_love_,' the inner leather clad Diana pointed out rather gleefully. 'With Bruce you could blame it on his paranoia….or even his personal _concerns_ that he won't admit to us, but with Lois, how do you explain her? She is an outsider and she saw what you seem to denying rather vehemently.'

At Diana's silence, the inner Diana continued. '…and from the looks of it, so did at least half of the people present in that room.'

---

"Ms. Lane is it?" Faraday stepped up to field the question. Before the press conference began, he had been briefed on the possible hard hitters in the crowd, with a few names ticked off in red. Lois Lane and Clark Kent were among those few. While Lois had a reputation of the _in your face_ kind of reporter, Kent was more like a slipping in under the radar and strike without you even knowing it, kind of guy.

"You know it _Mr._ Faraday," Lois emphasized on the Mister part.

"Well, I'd like to answer that by saying, although Diana…Wonder Woman and I are friends, well, at least I'd like to think we are," he once again played the crowd to get some lightness into the question. "In no way is our personal life going to intrude or affect on our professional acquaintance."

"What about your appointment to this post?" Not one to let up so easily, Lois pushed on, paying no attention to the _hand-on-face_ pleading look that the man sitting beside her, namely her boyfriend in disguise, was giving her. "It is common knowledge that our country is one of the last nations to fill in this post. Seeing that a majority of the League members, as you put it so eloquently, work or live on US soil, one would assume that ours should have been the first appointee to this UN sanctioned office….instead one of the last."

More than a little set-off by the direction Lois was leading towards, the head of the Department of Homeland Security, the branch under which Faraday's office would fall under, stepped up the podium.

"I am sorry Ms. Lane and other gathered members of the media," everyone knew what was coming next, "the time for this press conference has run out. The League Liaison office will be issuing a public release for all present outlining the duties and responsibilities that Mr. Faraday has been assigned with."

"I'm sure they will," Lois mumbled under her breath as she returned to her seat. The growl that she sent Clark's way would have been funny…at any other time…except this.

---

"Shall I cancel all the appointments for the day Sir?" As if out of thin air, Alfred appeared as his Master's side, an empty tray in his hand.

"Cancel?" Bruce knew what Alfred was inferring towards. "Why?"

"I surmised that with these recent developments…."

"…that I would be rushing off to the Watchtower." Bruce completed his sentence.

"Not rushing sir," Alfred put forth a _'pshaw'_ look. "Maybe making a trip to the eye in the sky?"

Even though the perceptive butler did not mention it, Bruce understood the reason behind his sudden interest in getting him up to the Watchtower, the same reason that had led him to waking up his employer so early in the morning…..Diana.

"No Alfred," Bruce shook his head. "There is an executive body meeting later in the day, so there is no need for Bruce Wayne to give up on his daytime duties."

Clearly not happy about his charge's decision, Alfred nevertheless acceded to it, but not without making a parting remark.

"Master Bruce, as the saying goes, strike while the iron is hot….

…lest someone else cart it away."

-

-

* * *

**Note:** Sorry for the delay in the update…but had to step back a bit from them, in lieu of 'Symmetry'. Hope to post another one soon! 

Unlike Symmetry, where I have set up Cassandra Cain as Batgirl and Barbara Gordon as the Oracle, here they are in keeping with what the Batman: TAS established.

In addition, the Lois-Clark dynamic is still at a girlfriend- boyfriend stage, and they are yet to get married. However, Clark has revealed his secret identity to Lois.

Please Review!


	7. Confrontational Interventions

**07. Confrontational Interventions**

**Summary: **Its meeting time.

* * *

"Diana. You got a minute?"

Tracking her down half and hour before the meeting, he asked the questions that had swirling around in his head since morning….ever since…

---

_/Flashback/_

"_What was that?" An uncomfortable frown on his face, one of the few that he had in his 'civilian' life, he stopped his co-worker, friend and lover…on their way back from the conference…confronted her, only to have chucked back at him._

"_What was what?" Even though she feigned ignorance, the raven-haired beauty knew the exact nature and reason for the question._

"_Lois, you know what I mean," Clark lifted his hand towards the building they had just left. "What was that inside just now?"_

"_Work," Lois answered as if it were the most obvious choice. "Well, at least for me it was work. Don't know what it was for you….sitting there twiddling your thumbs."_

"_Lois," more than a head above the seven inches shorter Lois, Clark stopped beating around the bush and finally came out with the point. "You shouldn't have said that about Diana."_

_The pointed look that his effort at frankness got him was enough of a response._

"_Smallville, in case you missed the early morning memo," in a second the no-nonsense Pulitzer Prize winning journalist was up and at him. "We are in the business of finding the un-find-able and reporting it."_

"_I know that…"_

"_...that means we get and have to ask the questions that shouldn't be asked…that either due to personal relationships or political or some other pressure, wouldn't be asked. It's not a question of whether I should have or shouldn't have asked the questions…I was required to ask them because of who I am and what I represent."_

"_Yes but…"_

"_And even though Diana may not be conversant with the customs of our, or as she calls it, man's world or patriarch's world, she is a here and she is a public personality. Just as people and even I have put up questions about Superman," she deliberately spoke of Clark's alter ego in the third person. "As with any other person whose life is out in the open, especially one who wields such power, and by power I do not mean her god given strength, but her standing in the Justice League and the possible affects on the world that someone exploiting that power…either through her or any other member of the league, could bring."_

_If nothing else, Lois's cutting words made Clark stop and think for a few seconds. Without his needing to admit it, he knew something about the truth and the feelings behind those words. It wasn't long ago that an injured Batman had thrown similar words at him and Diana…..just as many other people who believed and understood, or even without that, surmised about the League and its standing on the global scale of things...and that was just on the earth._

"_But Lois, you know Diana. You know she would never do anything like that."_

"_You sure about that?" The way Lois looked at him made the Man of Steel stop in his tracks._

"_What do you mean?" He wanted to know if Lois truly believed that Diana, of all the people, would do anything to jeopardize the League or anyone else on the planet. Diana, who, having gone against her mother's wishes had not only left her home, but was barred from even setting foot on it, "Tell me you don't believe that."_

"_Of course I don't," a 'duh' look followed up by a scowl marred the beautiful face of the love of his life. "But that doesn't mean that Faraday or if not him, his seniors would stop from trying to get some leeway…some pull."_

_Even before he could respond to that, the faster than a speeding bullet, Clark was silenced once again._

"_And don't tell me you and at least half if not more of the people gathered in that room didn't agree with me." At getting no answer, she carried on. "Don't you think it's the least bit suspicious that a man who as we both know from our sources, wasn't even in the running consideration for this post, get the job…and that too so soon after his 'date' with a League member, a founder no less…Wonder Woman, the most after woman in the world…easily."_

"_Careful Lois, you almost sound jealous," Clark tried and succeeded in lightening the atmosphere._

"_Are you going to leave me for her?" Lois's question was just as easy as it was piercing._

"_What? No!"_

"_Then I have nothing to be jealous about…do I? But seriously Clark…" the moment of levity gone, it was back to the matter at hand. "Are you really that trusting that you don't see the possibilities behind this."_

"_I think the word you are looking for is 'dense'."_

"_I didn't say it, you did."_

_Even though she did not tell Clark about Diana's visit to the Daily Planet, it did tickle her reporter senses. Maybe her joke about man trouble wasn't that off the mark after all. Question was; what sort of man trouble and to what extent._

"_And another thing….."_

"_Yes Lois."_

"_I love you, you know that, right?"_

"_Yes Lois."_

"_And you love me?"_

"_Do you even need to ask that? Of course I do."_

"_So for all the love that is between us, I don't tell you how to do your job…either of them, and you don't get to tell me how to do mine…"_

"…"

"_And the next time you try this stunt again…."_

"_Yes Lois?" (Gulp)_

"_We'll see how far up your sweet tight butt, does your invulnerability go to."_

_/End Flashback/_

---

Even though he knew that Lois was joking towards the end, her words about Diana and the League did strike a point in Superman's mind. It wasn't very different from what he himself worried about…every time he wore the cape.

What if…through the people he knew, his family and friends…someone tried to take advantage of what he did as Superman, by himself or with the League?

Even if Faraday did not know or think that way, Clark wasn't going to delude himself by trusting his superiors not to do so. After all, even after Luthor's falling, many of the people that had worked in and under his administration, but beaureucratic and non-beaureucratic, were still in office…and they, in fact, none if any, person of power…person wanting even more power, would chance up such an opportunity…

…hence his reason for stopping Diana.

---

"Yes Kal," even though she slowed down, Wonder Woman continued her journey towards the Watchtower cafeteria, hoping to catch a quick lunch before the meeting.

"I just….I…" Superman, even with all his stupendous abilities and powers, was still having a tough time broaching the subject of the press conference and any effects….and possible outcomes of it. "We should probably sit down first."

"I am on way to the cafeteria," Diana gestured towards the general direction she was heading in, an unease dawning over her in reflection to Superman. Her question as to what it was that had the Man of Steel so wound up was answered with his next words.

"No, somewhere more pri…." He stopped himself at saying the word. "How about the conference room?"

"Kal."

"…."

"Very well," Diana relented. "The conference room. I can always catch something to eat later."

"Oh," 'She was going for lunch.' "Why don't we do like this? You can get your lunch and meet me in there in say about ten minutes." That would work out for him too, giving him adequate time to rework his strategy and more importantly his words….especially after the jumble up couple of minutes ago.

"I'll be there in five."

With that both superheroes flew in different directions, Superman already rolling his questions and answers in his head, while Diana wondering as to what it was that had got him so riled up in the first place. She had a nagging doubt as to the reason behind, but thanks to her newly _minted_ inner voice, and Batman's words from a few days ago, she was trying her level best to keep it down.

---

Exactly four minutes and fifty-three seconds later, holding a tray with a bowl of salad on one side and a glass of juice on the other, the Princess and recently appointed Ambassador of the Amazon nation of Themiscyra, flew into the inner sanctum of the founders of the Justice League.

Remaining silent as Diana rested the tray on the table, Superman occupied his usual chair as Wonder Woman settled in on hers. He had, he hoped he had, a pretty non-confrontational plan in place.

"Diana," he began evenly. Things would have been so easy had J'onn been here, but with his recent sabbatical from the League, the responsibility to be the voice of logic, while being the voice of _emotional_ reason…always, fell on Superman's shoulders. Things were so easy before, Batman was cold hard logic; he was emotions and care about others, while J'onn was the mediator. Diana was also an amalgamation of what he and Bruce brought to the table, but with her own original style to it. That left John and Wally, Green Lantern and Flash, and both of them, from day one, perfectly played off each other. While John, a former marine, was everything ordered in the military kind of things….Wally was his absolute antithesis.

'There is no easy way to say this.'

"Diana," he started again. "I want to talk you to about this morning's…."

"There is nothing to talk about," the fact alone that she superseded his words, let the seasoned reporter know that although she was denying it and hiding it….hiding it well, she had been affected by Lois's words. What he did not know was just how much, and that Lois wasn't the first to sound those words to her…just the first one to speak them out so publicly.

"You know that Lois didn't mean what she said," as soon as the words left his lips, Superman cringed at what he had just said. It sounded much better when he had spoken it in his mind. Now…now it just seemed that he had called Lois a liar….or worse, a bad reporter. 'Good thing, she isn't here to hear it.'

"I mean, she did not mean any offence to you." 'Yeah, that was better.'

"I know that Kal," Diana kept her answers short and to the point. From his words, it seemed that Clark did not know about her meeting with Lois…and she was thankful for it. Going at a time when she knew he would not be there, was reason alone to indicate that she did not want any _male_ intervention. Lois seemed to understand it and more importantly, respect it. "She is a journalist; she gets to and has to ask the tough questions."

"Oh, yeah." Diana's agreeable attitude was an unexpected reaction. He knew that she would show some reaction…just not this one….and that rang is alarm bells again. Was she trying to cover up her true feelings? Did she feel offended by Lois's implication? Or did it hit too close to home. Thanks to her recent appointment as Ambassador, Diana was getting quite adept in wordplay….not allowing him to get a decent sentence in; she cut him off before he could get to the _concerned_ parts. Had it been Clark Kent the reporter, instead of Kal, the friend, there would have been no competition at all….but then again, it wasn't the reporter was sitting there with her, it was the friend.

"Diana…is there…."

_**ZZWWIPPP!**_

A whoosh of air and an _electric_ trail of scarlet announced the entry of their speedster teammate and the end of whatever question Clark was going to ask.

"Hey guys," Wally West a.k.a. the Flash greeted the duo, as he flopped down in his designated chair. "Whatsup?"

As if on cue, the doors once again slid open and the remaining two, Green Lantern and Batman, walked into the chamber.

---

About half an hour later,

"What do you mean I cannot do it?" Diana near about bellowed at the man sitting right next to her, her voice making even Lantern flinch a bit, had no visible affect on Batman's impassive demeanor.

"I did not say you cannot do it," Batman spoke as if he were explaining a new martial arts move to Robin. "I said you should not do it."

"And why is that?" It looks could kill, the Dark Knight would have died at least a thousand deaths…just in that one instant.

"Conflict of Interest."

"Conflict of Interest?" Superman echoed from across the table. Even though the _hidden_ dynamics of the duo were still unknown to him, both the reporter and the League chairperson, not to mention the friend, was concerned…for either _warring_ party. "What do…"

"If you are implying that…" Diana was doing all she could to contain herself from just letting her clenched fist fly right into his face. 'One word Bruce…just one more word…'

"Ambassador."

'Huh,' that wasn't the word she was hoping for or even expecting. She thought that he would bring up the press conference from that morning and somehow tie that and the dinner she shared with King, bringing all that into how her _personal involvement_ would preclude her objectivity in the situation. "What-What do you mean?" She took a second to collect herself, while pushing down that inner voice that seemed to chant in a poor _Batman_-esque fashion, 'Yeah, that what I would have said, only with more _oomph_.'

"You are the Ambassador of your country."

"And…"

"And?" The look Batman gave her was one of, _what do you mean 'And'_? _How can you possibly ask me 'And'? Don't you know who I am? I am the night, I am the vengeance….I am **THE** Batman._

"I know I am the Ambassador of Themiscyra. How does that affect my work with the League? After all, I am already handling the liaison from France and Kasnia."

"That is different."

"How?"

"Your country does not have an embassy establishment on their soil." Batman pointed out.

"And?"

'Again with the _and_,' the look, condescending on anyone but him, was back, "hence the Conflict of Interest."

"Having the embassy on US soil, that does not make me an American national," Diana pointed out, once again, flinching at the _tsk_ that came from within her. 'He will find a way out of this….well, he already has, you just don't know it….or _deny_ getting it.'

"Diana…" Ooh, that just crossed the line into condescending territory and the others, all but forgotten, watched in dumb-silence, the ping-pong game that their two teammates seemed to be playing, with each of three having their own thoughts about the argument and the arguing duo.

'Just like an old couple.' John mused with a smirk on his face. 'Get a room already.'

'Both of them have a point. How to I dissipate the tension?' Clark.

'Wonder what Fire is doing right now? She sure smelled nice when I saw her. Wonder what my feet smell like? With all the running around they've got to smell. Running around…man, does it make me hungry. What's for dinner? Hope its burgers or even Pizza. Hot Pizza. You know what…who's hot? Fire' hot. Hey! Fire-Hot, funny joke. Heh heh…hmm. Then again, not that funny…but Fire is definitely hot. Hot. Oh, did I leave the iron on? What's with these two? Twenty bucks says she ups and socks him. Thousand bucks on him sending a glare her way…just before he loses consciousness. Should try to talk to Fire. Wonder what's she doing right now? Hey, didn't I think that thought already? I think I thought that thought...huh! Whoa, too much thinking.' Wally

--

'This is getting us nowhere,' finally having had enough, Superman interjected to break the stalemate. "So, who do you suggest should be our appointee to work with the American liaison?"

Truth was, even he thought that neither Diana nor he himself, were in a position to take on any more workload. He already had more than half a dozen countries he was working with, and according to League policy about liaisons, no one in the room, well, no one except Diana, would be able to do it…seeing that all of them were American nationals. Neutrality was the clause….and with that, almost seventy-five percent of the League members were ruled out immediately. As for Diana, her appointment as Ambassador left her in a precarious situation, as while neutral to every other country, she still had to keep in mind the diplomatic office she occupied….with every country in man's world.

"Shayera." Everyone stopped short at Batman's choice for the League's representative to work with the US liaison.

"_What!_" Green Lantern was the first to react….as expected. "You can't be serious."

'He is nothing but serious…always.' Flash wanted to tell his ring-wielding teammate. Even though he was with Vixen, John's relationship with his ex was more than a bit awkward, especially after his, Batman and Wonder Woman's trip through time…after seeing Warhawk, Rex Stewart, his son….his son from Shayera…not Mari. Although just a possibility, it still made him think about his and Shayera's relationship or _currently_ lack thereof.

"Its either her or J'onn," Batman coolly answered. None of you can do it," he used 'you', because just as with everything else, the name Batman wasn't even mentioned in the list of members that the League released. "So, it's either getting J'onn back or appointing Shayera."

His reasoning, although sound, made the others more than a bit wary, not because there was anything wrong with his choice….except for the public perception and her part in the Thanagarian invasion and near destruction of the Earth.

"Do you think she'll do it?" Flash inquired cautiously, almost completely sold on the idea. Shayera had always been his friend, even when she was after him with her mace in hand for eating all of her stash of ice cream…and since her return, things had returned pretty much to the way they were, well, except for the whole mace and threat to bash his head in part.

Silent going through all the other possibilities, Superman reached the same conclusion as Batman. The closest alternative was Katana, who, put mildly, was at least couple of steps in front of Shayera's temper control issues.

"We'll ask her." The asking was merely a formality as in light of the recent events, all the members were obligated to help with making the League appear less threatening and more friendly….more approachable.

----

"Anything else?" Even as he _asked_, Batman was all but on his way to the door.

"I don't think…." And he was gone. "…so."

Seeing Diana about to follow the same path, Superman called out to her.

"Diana, I was hoping…"

"Maybe later Kal…" she flipped over her shoulder and with a swoosh of the door, she was gone too, leaving three very different yet eerily similar reactions behind her.

'What was that all about?' Clark.

'He's going to get it now.' John.

'Fifty, a hundred…no, two hundred, on her knocking that glare off his face.' Flash.

-

-

* * *

**Note:** I tend to write the animated Superman different from how I write the comic version. This is because from the JLU series and the Superman Animated series before it, Superman comes across as having a sort of innocence that his comic counterpart lacks….well, at least to me.

Moreover, I haven't included Shayera in the executive body as there is not hint that she is in it anymore. She is a senior member, just not among the senior most.

**Spoilers:** I Am Legion (s5), To Another Shore (s5), The Doomsday Sanction (s4), Kid Stuff (s3), The Once and Future Thing (s3), Maid of Honor (s2) and other episodes from the four previous seasons.

Please Review!


	8. The Break Out

_Thanks to Rekka09, ThietjeDoza and batfan7 (and ofcourse 'No Name') and all the other readers who have were gracious enough to a spare minute or two to review my work. Thanks guys, an' hope to hear more from the readers' end._

_ And now, on with the story._

_ BW_

* * *

**08. The Break Out**

**Summary: **She is ready and going for the confrontation. But what about him?

* * *

True to their speculation, seconds later, as she stepped up the circular platform, the two people on duty at the teleporter, Vibe and Ice called up the last 'port. However, as she suspected and as her younger teammates found out, true to his paranoid nature for secrecy, there was no record of the Dark Knight last position. 

Pushing down the expletives burbling up her chest, Diana stepped up and entered the coordinates of the Batcave herself. The 'cave was one of the few places whose location had been encrypted to be kept secret as entered and deleted as soon as the teleportation commenced. There were a handful of other such classified locations, with three used by Superman himself, one, the Daily Planet building, second, his and Lois's apartment and third, Ma and Pa Kent's farm in Smallville.

A few seconds of entering the coordinates and stepping up on the teleportation platform, a burst of energy, a shimmer of soft light and Diana found herself standing in the dark surroundings of the innermost sanctum of Batman's world. Taking a couple of deep breaths to calm herself, the _temperature change _causing a shiver to run down her spine, she was just about to step out of the cylindrical teleporter pod, when….

"Show yourself," a familiar but currently hard sounding polished British accented warning reached her ears, as did the subdued clicking of something being turned on.

Her arms lifted slightly in the air and a disarming smile on her lips, the Amazonian Princess stepped out of the pod, around the corner coming face to face with an as always smartly but currently gun toting Alfred Pennyworth.

"Oh," in the blink of the an eye, the safety was switched on and the gun lowered. "Sorry miss. I didn't realize that it was you. Please pardon my behavior."

"Alfred. Please….there is no need for apologies. After all, my….my visit is also unannounced. If some should apologize, it should…." Diana was equally quick to respond. During the time after the Thanegarian invasion, she and J'onn and had spent quite some time as guests at Wayne Manor. With Bruce and J'onn not being the most forthcoming conversationalists, not to mention their work on getting the new watchtower ready, not to mention Alfred's reserved but easy to befriend nature, she had spent many hours with the elderly secret agent, thespian, butler, caretaker, guardian and surrogate father, all rolled into one. Through him, not only did she learn more about man's world, and about his life and adventures but also about something more important, something….someone, both of them were quite ready and interested and talking and hearing about….Bruce. With the memory of the kiss they had shared not even a month ago, still fresh in her mind and that of their dance resurfacing again, Diana found herself thinking about a possible relationship between her and the Dark Knight.

However, that was then and this was now.

--

"No, miss." With a single shake of the head, Alfred not only halted her apology, but also gestured for her to come towards the lighted area, his slightly outstretched hand leading the way. "Its just that, Master Bruce did not intimate about your impending arrival."

Well, that ended any small talk. "He doesn't know I am here."

To Alfred's credit not only he did not give any verbal response, his emotional one was almost about just as tacit.

After a few seconds of uncomfortable silence, as the duo finally reached the area near the gigantic Cray computers, Diana, who ever since her arrival had been waiting for the hard, cold, 'Why are you here?' or 'What do you want princess?' of Batman's graveled voice, finally gave into her impatience.

"Where is he?" Alfred stopped and turned towards her. "He is not here…is he?" It was more a statement than a question.

'No, Miss," the Butler lifted his eyes towards the computer screen. Along with the map, 'probably of Gotham,' Diana assumed, there were quite a few red dots along with three different colored ones….blue, green and yellow. Even though she wasn't sure about who or what these three dots represented, Diana knew about the red ones. They were 'active' problem areas, both from Batman's own sources and the police band. However, just as she knew about the significance of the red dots, she also knew about _conspicuous_ absence of one particular signal….a bat. "The master is currently off the grid." Alfred voiced in confirmation.

"Oh." 'So he teleported directly into the city.' Well, that didn't make things easier for Diana. In fact, it just about obliterated any possibilities of her getting hold of him and giving him a piece of her mind. However, even with her annoyance at his behavior and words at an all time high, her concern for his well being still trounced over it. "Is it anything major? And don't give me the, _its nothing that he cannot handle_, answer." She added beforehand getting an amused smirk for her words.

Of the countless women that came in and went out of Bruce's life, there weren't many whom Alfred would approve as someone befitting to _wear_ the Wayne name. Add to that his employer's not so…._conventional_ night life, and the already short list withered even further to barely a handful. The first and for a long time only choice both in his mind and his master's heart had been Andrea Beaumont. She had been Bruce's first real love. The time she came into Bruce life and had she stayed on with him, things might have turned very differently. Not only might there have been no Batman, but also no Nightwing, Batgirl or Robin. In their place, there might already have been the pitter-patter of young feet and the gurgles and giggles of young child….ren in the manor…a house which for too long had been waiting to have the presence of a new life grace it. However, as with anything in the past, it was all now a case of _could have_. There had been few since, Silver St. Cloud, Vicki Vale and last but not the least, Selina 'Catwoman' Kyle.

If there was ever a case of being a perfect fit…on paper, their's was it. Not only would Selina Kyle work great with Bruce Wayne, but in her Catwoman guise, she also could become (possibly) Batman's closest ally. A match made in heaven…._almost_, but not quite.The thing with Selina was that she liked and favored Batman more than she did Bruce. To someone looking in from the outside it would appear as a pretty straight sit, but for anyone who knew Batman and Bruce, they knew the almost polar nature of the two personalities. However, with time even that _difference_ would have worked itself out. The only thing, the _one_ thing….the deciding thing that would never go away, not even with time, was Batman and Bruce's sense of _justice_. That was the main reason things would never work out between in the Dark Knight of Gotham and the Feline thief….not until one of them gave in and stepped down from their stand, which given their strong, independent nature, neither of the two would do.

Things looked pretty bleak until after the invasion, for it was in its aftermath that Alfred once allowed himself to wipe the dust off the dreams and hopes he had committed to his 'memory-archives' Once again, he saw his charge getting the one thing that he had been _teased_ with but never achieved since that fateful night all those years ago….personal happiness. The reason for the renewal was standing now in front of him. Even though neither of them had said anything to him or even to each other, Alfred's perceptive eyes saw how in the days and weeks after the invasion ended, the two of them slowly seemed to gravitate towards each other. Even though the Princess was more open…or maybe not as secretive as Bruce with her emotions, she still wasn't adept in the matters of man's world, especially not in the age old practice of _courting_. Still, the way Bruce had started to smile a true smile…a relatively _frequent_ true smile, the way, in the presence of their royal guest, his eyes used to shimmer with a peace that Alfred had seen only a handful of times in the past two and half decades…if only added to the hope for a happy future, one with Diana in it, not only as a teammate or friend, but as a permanent resident of the manor…as the lady of the house…as this generation's Mrs. Wayne.

However, that was then and this was now.

--

"Alfred?" Diana's voice and the questioning, slightly confused look on her face drew the old man out of his thoughts. "Where is Bruce?" She queried again, her concern rising even further as she took Alfred's silence for his worry about Bruce's welfare. She was right, but not quite in the way she thought.

"Its nothing major miss," the poker face was up in an instant. "It was just Commissioner Gordon contacting him about an escape from Arkham Asylum. Instead of coming to the cave, the master found it better to touch back somewhere….nearer." He knew that Bruce would have teleported to the penthouse apartment he maintained at the top floor of the Wayne Building. Once he was done for the night, he would return in the Bat-mobile which, as per his orders, Alfred had already sent via auto-pilot.

"Escape?" Diana knew about the Gotham's infamous Arkham Asylum and its psychotic and incredibly dangerous inmates. "Who is it this time? Joker? Two-Face?" She named the first two Bat-villains that came to her mind.

"And Poison Ivy, Lock-Up…" Alfred added taking in Diana's widened eyes and the gasp that escaped her lips. "…and the Ventriloquist."

'Hera.' Diana all but took off in search of the Dark Knight, her anger towards him completely forgotten. "How….how did this happen? So many….five…five of them? How?"

"It seems that Ms. Quinzel, the Harley Quinn in an endeavor to _rescue_ her paramour blew off almost the whole west wing….along with the Asylum's power grid." Alfred stated grimly as his eyes once again flitted towards the screen. Ever since his return, Batman had gone into complete silence, even deactivating the homing devices in his utility belt, boots and cowl. "However…."

"However?"

"However," Alfred tore his eyes away from the screen, just as the green dot began to move across the grid. "In trying to help the Joker escape, Ms. Quinzel herself fell into the hands of the police, and is currently incarcerated in the different section of the Asylum.

Even as Alfred finished speaking, Diana, her mind already made, her right hand gripping her lasso, glanced towards the dark tunnel leading out of the cave. Used as an entry-exit for the Bat-mobile, she meant to use it for herself. If she hurried, she would be able to….

"Miss…" one look and whatever words that were about to escape his lips, Alfred kept to himself. Truth was, even if meant having to bear Bruce's grump for the next few weeks, he was thankful for Diana's appearance and her unspoken offering for assistance.

"Where Alfred?"

Knowing what that question meant, Alfred once again turned towards the screen and zeroed in on the green dot, noting its coordinates.

--

Seconds later, the cool air of the cave tunnel slapping against her face and sides, Diana tore into the open.

As she lifted up into the night sky, her gaze was set at her destination….Gotham City.

-

-

**

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Note:** Sorry for the much delayed update. Things (writing wise) have been pretty dull these past few weeks and pretty busy in RL. Also have half finished updates for all of my other ongoing fics. Will try and get them done and posted over the weekend.

As for this one, I was catching on the episodes of season 5, the ones I hadn't seen until now.

Please Review!


	9. Family Matters

**09. Family Matters**

**Summary: **She's off again...Getting quite a run about, isn't she!

* * *

It took all but a couple of minutes for Diana to traverse the distance from the Batcave's secret exit to the outskirts of the city of the Dark Knight. 

Gotham City. The name itself held a sort of mystique, bringing up visions of something hard, something dark...a world _closed_ unto itself. Even for someone from this world, the glaring differences between Gotham and its polar twin, Metropolis, was clear as the moon on a clear, cloudless night, much unlike this night. For someone such as Diana, it was even more glaring, specially with what she used as her base standard, the peaceful, Utopian grandeur of her _birth _home, the Amazonian nation of Themiscyra. For many leaguers, Superman and Batman represented the opposite ends of the ideology spectrum, with one believing in the 'law' above all, and due to that sometimes accepting the shortcomings or delay in justice, the other was ready to do anything for attaining 'justice', even if meant bending or in certain cases, breaking the law of the land. And just as their guardians, _their_ cities were also just as different. With these two setting the ends of the spectrum, cities such as San Francisco and Star City made up on the _space _between them, with the twin cities of Keystone-Central, the Flash's home, bringing up the neutral/middle point...almost like a balance with equal weights of dark and light on either side. On more than one occasion, Diana had even heard that while someone like Batman couldn't/wouldn't work in the lights of Metropolis, it was true the other way around too in the way that not even Superman would be able to fight and contain the always present darkness of Gotham. It was as if they were created to complement and yet (sometimes) stand opposed to each other...the light and the dark, raw emotion and cold logic...law and justice.

Flying over the multi-storeyed buildings, with her eyes scanning the rooftops and her ears listening to everything from the gigantic fans on the top of some buildings, to the honk and screech of the vehicles driving at ground level. Her destination, the Gotham Towers building itself, loomed in the distance, growing lower as she lifted higher up in the air so as to avoid any observing eyes. Although not spoken, she and Alfred had agreed that he wouldn't try to inform Batman about her presence in his city, and in return she hadn't asked about the identity of the person whose location Alfred has informed her about...not that she needed to. Even if she hadn't met anyone from the Bat-family, the green dot was information enough about which Bat-operative it was. From what she had heard from Kal, Wally and the few other leaguers who _personally _knew either one or all of the people who followed Batman's mission, she had inferred that Nightwing, had been the first Robin and was also Bruce's eldest son. The second and current Robin was his second son. Neither of them Diana had met personally, not even during her stay at the mansion. Nightwing lived and operated in Gotham's _little sister_, Bludhaven. And as Batman worked with the League, Nightwing did the same with the Titans (formerly Teen Titans), the San Francisco based team that he also was the leader of.

'Its just like him isn't it.' Diana all but faltered at the voice sounding from within her...from her 'free spirited' doppleganger.

'What do you mean?' She returned evenly. Although still a bit unnerved, she was fast becoming used to these introspective _conversations_.

'Just look at it,' her eyes once again spanned over the city. 'The city itself. Its as if its a mirror...no, as if it is him. Like you were thinking, dark, serious, layers upon layers of (emotional) armor, secretive, seemingly cold, unrelentingly harsh...'

'You got a point you want to make?' Diana cut in, not wanting to hear a repeat of her thoughts.

'Look at that,' as if drawn by a magical source Diana found herself slowing down, her gaze settling at a particular point on the ground, her enhanced hearing allowing her to listen in on everything.

--

"Mom. Dad. Look, I can run backwards," the young, probably five-six year old boy was running in front of his parents, showing off his newest discovery, something that he had seen no one do before.

"Good boy," his father complemented. "Now stop. This is not the place to do this. Stop before you..."

"Adam. _Stop!_" his mother called out a second too late, both she and her her husband rushed towards their child. For a second, time stood still as the suddenly nervous kid, fumbled over a broken patch of pavement, toppled over, landing slam bang on his behind, nearly tilting over onto the road...directly in the path of a truck backing up to park.

"Adam!" His heart at his throat, the father leapt the last few feet, grabbing and rolling onto the stony patch of pavement, pulling the child away from the road and onto his chest.

---

'See that,' Diana saw as both adults hugged the child and each other. 'Even with all this cement, mortar...all this darkness, still there is life here...there is family, friends...' Diana knew where her inner twin was going. '...and there is a heart, there is love, be it in the people in the city or inside the man inside the Bat.

'You don't think I know that.' Diana scoffed at...well, at herself. 'You don't think that I have seen that, tried to get to know that...get close to that...to him. But even I can only do so much. I may have been created by the gods, but I am not one of them. I can't just bind him with my lasso and _command_ him to love me.'

'Hmm. Bind him...'

'Ugh! Don't even go there.' This was unnerving part. One instant this leather clad version of her would be empathizing, almost mirroring her, and the next...a complete 180 degree flip. Even now, the mental visuals were assaulting her. They varied from tame ones like Bruce, in full Batman attire, kneeling down on the ground his head bowed to her usual red, blue and gold clad persona, to one that she did not even want to think about...her, dressed in that blue and black leather costume her doppleganger was dressed in and Bruce, tied spreadeagled on his bed, this time out of costume...in fact out of any sort of clothing.

'Too late _Princess_,' the teasing voice faded away with each word. 'My work is done here. Now you can go looking for him.'

Even as she was shaking her head to clear the thoughts clouding her mind, from her periphery, Diana caught a dark shadow swinging through the air, heading towards the same building as she was. For a second she thought that it was _him_, but as she got a better look, she realized that although the general form was familiar...similar, it wasn't the person who she thought it was. It was someone else, someone although she had heard about, she knew very little about...even less than what she knew about the other member of Bruce/Batman's family.

As she watched, the dark form swung onto and landed onto the roof of the Gotham Towers building, just a few feet away from the another shadowed form, this one of the person Diana had been looking for the in the first place.

"Got anything?" As he stepped out of his shadows, the red and black clad form of Robin came into view, his gently billowing cape revealing a yellow underside.

Something...a rising doubt made Diana keep her distance from the duo and _observe _their interaction. Even though it seemed highly unlikely, she wanted to take this chance to not only know more about the members of the Bat-family but also about a rumor that had done the rounds on the watchtower.

"Nope," answered the woman, her physical appearance and voice telling Diana that she was younger than she was...probably in her early twenties.

'There is no way that Bruce and her...' Diana felt rather stupid and angry at even thinking of about it. After all, what concern was it of hers. Yeah, what concern.

"Where is he?" That question caused her to pause.

_He?_

"Don't know. I did my sweep," Robin flopped down onto the edge, his feet dangling over the side of the building. He had completed a triple check on the section of the city that had been assigned to him. However, even after three runs, the closest thing he got to any of the major Bat-villains was the couple of Penguin's men roughhousing a man in the alley next to Pengy's club, the Iceburg Lounge. Five minutes and he was off, leaving them for the GCPD, tied and strung up like a piniata. Other than that, not even one strand of green hair or a potted plant or a simple coin...nothing. It was as if all of them had just vanished into thin air. He was hoping that the others would have better luck.

"Me too," his teammate answered as she settled down next to him. Pulling out a PDA from her ultility belt, she began working on it, sending her findings to the cave computers.

"So," Robin grinned secretively. "What are you getting for his birthday?"

"Its none of your business," too bad the bait didn't work. "How about you tell me how's school."

"You had to go there, didn't you." The teen wonder slumped at the question. "I don't know what I even have to go to school. I mean, they are teaching us the types of blood. They are teaching that now. Can you believe that!"

"So, what's wrong. I learned about the blood typing when I was in school. Why can't you?"

"Yeah, but when you already know and perform DNA coding, and that too under the _MAN _himself, simple blood typing just seems like learning how to make a paper plane after you already have already built your own jet. Between Alf and B, I can easily jump classes and directly give my high school exam...and also the first year exam of college."

---

Feeling like a voyeur but still somewhat confused...and worried about the status of this woman in Bruce's life, Diana started to move down towards the roof, only to stop as a third figure, somersaulted through the air and landed perfectly on the slim edge of the roof, his hands oddly bereft of any sort of rope/line that the other two had used. However, it wasn't just that what was different about him...for unlike the other two, (and Batman) this person did not have a cape on, instead he had sort of mini wings, connecting his upper arms to his sides. 'Wings!' That and the way he looked as a grown up, matured, serious version of Robin, 'or a younger, livelier version of Batman,' her inner voice piped up, told Diana about his identity, as had the Bat-motif on the woman told about who she was.

"Hey." Jumping down from the edge, Nightwing walked up to his teammates. As he came forward into the light, he seemed to grow even darker...all thanks to the special Nomex-Kevlar material of his costume.

"Hey." The way Batgirl's tone and body language changed as she greeted Nightwing, answered all of Diana's questions. She now knew where this woman stood in Bruce Wayne's _family_.

"Anything?" Nightwing questioned Robin.

"What? No _'Hey'_ for little ol' me?"

_**Whack!**_

"HEY!" Tim Drake recoiled, rubbing his stinging neck.

"There. That's your _'Hey'_." Both Nightwing and Batgirl grinned at Robin's expense. "So, tell me. Anything on anyone of them?"

"No," Robin shook his head, making a face at his older sibling. "Even checked out Penguin's. Nothing."

"Me neither," Batgirl shook her head in reply. "You?"

"Nope. But I..."

_Brrrrr! Brrrrr!...Brrrrr! Brrrrr!_

Whatever words he had vanished at the simultaneous buzz sounding from the communicators of all three heroes. Diana watched as while both Robin and Batgirl pressed a hidden button on their utility belts, Nightwing, having no such belt, accessed the mini computer built into sizable gauntlets.

Seconds later as all three reached for their 'line guns', Nightwing seemingly hesitated for a second...only to turn his head skywards, and much to Diana's surprise, look straight up at her.

"That was him. You want to come with us...or do you have more _reconnaissance_ to do?"

---

Elsewhere,

**BLAMM! BLAMM! BLAMM! BLAMM! BLAMM! BLAMM!**

"Oooh, looketit...Bat-man just became Bat-net. Get it. He has holes in him...holes, just like a net...Bat-net. Or as the Britters say, Bloody...no, _Bloddy _Bat-Net. Ha ha...bloddy...ha ha..."

"Aw shut up, Toyboy. Just because you are in Gotham, doesn't mean you get to act like that freak Joker."

"Not Toyboy, Toyman...Toy_MAN_."

"Yeah, whatever. Go and check where did the freak go off to. I'd swear, anyone else taking such a beating...what is he?"

"Why Prometheus afraid?"

"Shut up or do you want me to feed you lead too...just like him."

**

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Note:** Don't know whether Prometheus was in Luthor-Grodd's society/legion in the animated series. As for the other characters, I am trying to keep to (or at least close to) the DC Animated Universe. That's why Babs is still Batgirl, Nightwing's 'winged' costume, the street smart Robin etc.

More updates soon...Please Review!


	10. Objective Thoughts

**10. Objective Thoughts**

**Summary: **Faced with facts, even her own, Diana makes a decision.

* * *

_**/Flashback/**_

"_NO."_

_The frustration in the usually impassive caused Diana to slow down in her approach to Bruce Wayne's private study at Wayne Manor. The way Flash was leaned against the door had piqued her interest, with Bruce tone only adding to it. Who was he talking to?_

"_Bruce…." Her ears perked at hearing the same frustration mirrored in the voice of the second person, Clark Kent a.k.a. Superman._

"_They are not to be involved in this." Bruce was all Batman now._

"_Why not?" Clark's retort was just as heated._

_Walking up to alongside Wally so as not to startle him, Diana gently tapped him on the shoulder. "Who are they talking about?" She whispered, feeling rather stupid over her actions. With Kal's hearing and Bruce's…well, whatever he used, the two of them most probablyu already knew about their eavesdroppers being there._

"_They are too young for the league." Bruce threw out the excuse getting a response the very next second._

"_Too young!" His arms crossed at his massive chest, dressed in his civilian garb, the Man of Steel stared at his teammate. "Did you forget that we just voted on admitting Kara and Courtney into the League? I am sure that Batgirl is at least as old as Kara, if not older, and Robin is around the same age as Courtney. And as for Nightwing, I know for a fact that he is older than Flash. Now would you say that the three of them are too young to serve in the League too."_

"_Hey! Its only by four months." Wally exclaimed at the jab at his age. He knew that not only was he the youngest among the founding members, even many of the newcomers were older than him, and although it would be great to have old Dickie in the League, Supes didn't need to pull him into it._

"_Sssh." A stern look from the Amazonian Princess and he shut his yapper._

"_Batgirl doesn't have Kryptonian genes giving her meta-abilities, especially invulnerability," the smartly dressed Bruce started to counter off Clark's arguments. "Stargirl is being given membership only because of S.T.R.I.P.E. And…"_

"_You can do the same with Robin," Clark's comment had not affect on the Caped Crusader._

"_And as for Nightwing, he already has his hands full with running the Titans and his responsibilities in Bludhaven. He does not have the time for the League."_

"_We could offer him...them temporary memberships," ever the resourceful investigative journalist, Clark did not let up either. "After all you are still continuing with your….."_

"_Kent." Bruce put his foot down. "Leave. Them. Alone."_

"_Bruce," Clark sighed, knowing that he was fighting a losing battle. "Why don't you want them in the League? Tell me the truth."_

_The ensuing silence that following Clark's question, clawed not only at him, but also the duo standing on the other side of the door, all three of them waiting with bated breath for any answer from the most secretive member of the League._

_After what seemed an hour silence, Bruce finally answered, his answer just loud enough for Clark's sensitive ears….and those of one other person in the vicinity, an answer neither of them had since mentioned to anyone else or even each other._

"_Gotham needs them. Now and even more if..."_

_Even though he hadn't spoken it out aloud, both Clark and Diana knew that Bruce was talking about the scale of his mission and his inevitable mortality, either due to aging or at the hands of any one of his enemies. The recent Thanegarian invasion and Batman's actions in it, his suicide mission aboard the Watchtower further driving in the nail into the coffin of Clark's counter argument._

"_Bruce…"_

"_Leave it alone Kent." Bruce closed up, his tone growing hard and unemotional. The only reason he had even answered that question was because it was Clark who has asked, and as much as he respected both Clark and Superman, Bruce wasn't comfortable with opening himself up….not even to someone he regarded as a friend._

_Hearing his voice draw nearer to the door, Wally whizzed away with a sudden burst of speed, leaving Diana standing there to face the tense looking Bruce as he opened the door. Not able to come up with something to explain her being there, she mutely stared at Bruce who after a few seconds of standing in front of her, spoke to Clark, his eyes never leaving Diana's. "We will not speak of this again," and he was gone._

_**/End Flashback/**_

----

"Nightwing?" Diana watched as Batgirl, the young woman she had only till a few minutes ago thought to be involved with Bruce, stepped towards the blue and black clad Nightwing, the oldest and most mature of the trio. Robin on the other hand reached into his utility belt.

"_You want to come with us...or do you have more reconnaissance to do?"_

At first she hadn't been sure how to react or whether Nightwing had actually seen her or was just _firing into the night_. From what she had heard from Flash, tracking him down Bruce and Clark's _discussion_, Nightwing, his name still a secret, was the first of Batman's recruits. In fact of all the sidekicks out there, Nightwing, then Robin was the first, the trailblazer, not to mention the youngest at starting in the superhero business. Although maybe not the first, he, over the years had grown up to become a sort of beacon, an ideal that many if not all of the young superheroes-in-training looked up to and tried to emulate. From what Flash told her, Nightwing had more years under his belt than many of the more _senior_ superheroes out there, including Diana herself. During the decade plus time, he had not only matured and grown up becoming Nightwing from Robin, he was also one of the founding members of the Teen Titans, not to mention their longest running leader. Also, over the last three years, ever since Nightwing made an appearance, he had moved his base of operations to Gotham's younger sister, Bludhaven, the reasons for his move one of the secrets that only the Bat-family and a few others knew.

"Holy spit." Robin's exclamation drew Diana's attention towards him, only to find him gaping up at her, a pair of binoculars over his eyes.

Her secret out, the exiled Princess and current Ambassador of the Amazon nation of Themiscyra, gave up her secret _airborne_ position and flew down to the roof.

"Oo." Barbara Gordon gasped as Diana landed before her.

"Hello." Diana graciously but redundantly introduced herself. "Umm…I am Diana."

"Nightwing." Dick stepped forth and introduced himself. Although he hadn't actually met Diana face to face, unbeknownst to her, the two them had talked over the Batcave-Watchtower communication link. Given that both Superman and Batman had also been there with her, not to mention Green Lantern and J'onn, he wasn't too sure if she would remember that conversation.

"I know." Diana accepted his proffered hand. "I've heard a lot about you…." At Dick's startled look, she quickly amended her comment. "….from Flash."

Nodding at her explanation, Nightwing did something that Diana did not expect, at least not from him…or either of his teammates. He smiled. He smiled a full, _flash your pearly whites_, smile. And if she had been one of a weaker heart, seeing a scion of the Batman smile, Diana would surely have been afraid.

Stepping back, Dick gestured towards the other two people on the roof. "Batgirl. Robin."

While Robin reacted pretty much the same way as when he had first met Superman but dumbly nodding his head, Barbara literally leapt up onto the Amazon, grabbing her hand. This was Wonder Woman, THE Wonder Woman. One of the most kick ass superheroes out there, not to mention the golden standard for any girl/woman starting or even currently working in the crime fighting business.

"Hi. I am Barb…I mean Batgirl." She gulped at almost letting her secret identity out, mentally cursing herself at repeating what Kara had told her had been her reaction when she first met Diana.

"It was nice meeting you Wonder Woman." Nightwing cut in before Diana had a chance to answer. "But we better get moving. We'll let him know you were here."

"I would like to hel…" starting to offer her assistance, Diana could not even get the words out before both Robin and Nightwing denied her _request_.

"No." While Tim stopped at that, Dick carried on. "This doesn't concern the you. Its not a League matter."

'Now, there's the _Bat_.' Diana arched an eyebrow at the younger man. "I have to talk to Batm…"

"He'll contact you." Raising his line-gun, Nightwing fired it into the night. "Now leave…." His warning tone was eerily Batman, all except for his parting word. "….please." Too bad for him, for a person who had grown accustomed to question even the Batman, not to mention her being an Amazon _Princess _i.e. not accustomed to taking orders, let alone from a man, his words had no affect, his courteous 'please' not helping matters one bit.

With Robin also gone the next instant, only Batgirl was left to apologize for the Batboys. "I-uh…."

"I am coming with you." Diana's tone brooked no argument as she took off in the same direction as which both Nightwing and Robin were headed, catching up to them a few seconds later.

Her repeat of the same to Nightwing elicited yet another Bat-response, both the verbal one and the furrowed temple.

"Fine. Just don't get in our way."

---

A few minutes later,

Reaching the warehouse, Nightwing was the first to enter with Robin canvassing the surroundings for clues and/or any miscreants, while Batgirl was assigned to Wonder-_sitting_ duty.

As for Diana, her night was turning out to be a big run-around, from the Watchtower to the Batcave and then to the Gotham tracking Robin's signal and now finally here. Even though she wanted otherwise, and even though she was still going to give Bruce a dressing down for…well, for…

'For what Princess?' Her inner biker-Diana piped up. 'For keeping you away from King _or_ for keeping you away from King and thus near himself.'

'_Near himself._' Diana's mental chuckle oozed sarcasm. 'You seriously need to get your facts correct. The only reason he did what he was to show that he could do and say anything to _put_ us in place.'

'And?' Her doppelganger questioned her reasoning. 'Anything else.'

'What do you mean _anything else_?'

'Well….' The inner Diana sighed at her physical self. 'One word Madam Ambassador. Objective.'

'Objective?' Diana's frown deepened.

'Yes. _Objective_. When it comes to Batman, you no longer count as an objective opinion. You have become so involved with him that anything he says or does, you automatically analyze it as if its just for you. You no longer see the big picture, the greater good and all that jazz.'

'That's not true.' Diana's protest was instant. 'I would never let my personal nee…my personal life overshadow my work in the league and my mission of peace. Not even for Batman.'

'I know that.' It seemed that even before Diana stated a point, her inner twin had a counter ready. 'But that doesn't mean you don't feel bad. That…'

'I don't feel bad.'

'That you don't feel hurt and even angry for the pull and push game Bruce seems to play with everyone around him. Even those close to him.' Diana glanced at Nightwing working a few feet below, and then at Robin and Batgirl, both of them talking into their comm links.

Watching them and the way they had interacted with each other earlier and the way she knew Alfred was, Diana couldn't even comprehend living with such a closely knit group, such a family, how could anyone remain so withdrawn, so secretive. 'How segregated must he keep himself. How lonely must he be…'

'Yeah, well, we already know that don't we.' The memory of the days after their _kiddy_ mission flashed through her mind. In the days following the mission in which Superman, Green Lantern, Bruce and her had been changed into eight year versions of themselves, Bruce had withdrawn, closing onto himself. For someone whose entire life was defined by one fateful event, being turned back to the same age, had cut through years of healing, years of _'coming to terms' _with it, making it seem as if it had just happened recently.

'What am I supposed to do?' Diana repeated the question that ever since she had come to man's world, she had asked herself so many times that she had lost count.

'Well, I already gave you my views,' for once her _wild_ twin did not chuckle at her situation. 'Talk to someone.'

'I cannot talk to Lois. Especially not now.'

'Then find someone else, or…'

'Or?'

'Or, take you own advice. The one you gave J'onn.'

Startled at the words, Diana physically took a step back. 'I do not need to reconnect with humanity.'

'Yes, but you need to reconnect with yourself…' the gentle voice whispered in her ears. '…with ourselves. To get your objectivity back.'

----

"Wonder Woman." Nightwing walked up next to the statue silent Leaguer. He had just finished with the crime scene and with Alfred back in the cave.

"Yes," it took Diana a second to get her bearings, her momentary confusion causing her to miss the shadow pass over Nighwing's visage. "Yes Nightwing."

"Batman…he's asked me to tell you that he won't be able to meet you tonight." Dick was putting on his best show of impassiveness, his efforts to dupe successful….almost.

"Where is he Nightwing?" Diana's tone was hard. Not only was he giving her the run-around, now he was getting his deputies do his dirty work of him…of facing her and telling her to leave.

"He's no longer working in the city." Dick kept his lies as close to the truth as possible, feeling thankful that the lenses covering his eyes saved him Diana noticing him dart glances at the lasso at her side. Having heard and read about it, he wasn't in a hurry to experience it first hand. "He…uh, something came up."

"Something." Diana's arched eyebrow clearly conveyed her thoughts. At Nightwing's nods she continued. "And about this something, I am sure that he does not require any _external_ assistance."

Not trusting himself to vocalize an answer, Dick elected to maintain his silence. He did not want to lie to Diana nor did he want to tell her that Batman was already getting the assistance he needed to help him with his current state.

A few seconds of silence, and the words 'get your objectivity back' echoing in her ears, Diana made her decision. If being alone was what he wanted, if that was the only way in which Bruce felt content…then let him have it. She would not stand in his way.

"Very well. It was nice meeting all of you. Hope my presence wasn't an obstruction."

Smiling an uneasy tight smile, to return those offered by the trio, and feeling rather self-conscious in front of these three…just because of their association with, Diana bid a quick farewell and pushed herself off the roof, the night quickly swallowing her retreating form.

Had she forced her hand to see the Dark Knight or even looked back once, Diana would have seen the almost panicking manner in which the three crime fighters went hurrying not ten blocks away…to the house and clinic of the family friend and mother figure to Bruce Wayne and others around him, Dr. Leslie Thompkins.

----

Elsewhere,

"Did you do it?" The baritone voice sounded from the shadows.

"Yes." Raising his helmet's shroud the silver haired Prometheus holstered his gun. "All of them are out, and the Bat is down if not out. All as per your requirements. I also threw in a bonus. Lock-Up."

"Good. And here is your payment…" the diminutive wheeled out the trolley with the rather large and heavy suitcases. "….five million. All in cash. As per _your_ requirements."

Not bothering or even attempting to try and count the money, Prometheus yanked the trolley away from the weird smile-faced robot or whatever this Toyman was.

"Always a pleasure." He threw over his shoulder as he headed towards the door.

As soon as Prometheus left, Toyman chirped up. "What next Boss?"

"Next. Next in line are the twin cities of Keystone-Central, Home of the Flash." The deep sounded in the near empty underground secret lair, as the man in question stepped forward. "We keep the League's eyes an ears away from us."

"And then?"

"Then." Lex Luthor, ex-President of the United States of America and current member of the 'Legion of Doom', came into view.

"Then we put an end to all this _monkey_ business."

-

-

* * *

**Note:** Finally caught up on the last few episodes of season 5…hence the change in direction for Diana. 

**_Spoilers:_** Season 2 (Starcrossed), Season 3 (Kids Stuff), Season 5 (To Another Shore, Flash and Substance, Dead Reckoning)

Please Review!


	11. Splitting Up

**Thanks to everyone for their reviews: **Gmusick, Veronica, Cycloptic NightBat, Nayvera, EternityZ and of course 'No Name'.

**BW**

* * *

**11. Splitting Up**

**Summary: **Do I even need to give a summary after the self evident title. Apologies beforehand if the chapter is a downer.

* * *

With light breaking over horizon, signaling Apollo's chariot starting on its daily run across the heavens, a pair of eyes, blue as the deepest sea, watched the solitary figure walking up the marble stairs to the ancient building, the other person's feet having none of the usual verve that the observer was wont to seeing in their movement. 

'What troubles you my child?' The words did not break the morning calm, as Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons and the only Amazon to have _'birthed'_ in the last three millennia, watched as her daughter stepped off the last stair, and slowly…reverently covered the last few feet to cross the threshold, disappearing into temple that her sisters had built for the Goddess of Wisdom, 'The Grey Eyed One', Athena.

Positioned by the window, the inner turmoil of her 'sun and stars' washing over to her, Hippolyta sat in vigil. This was the second temple that Diana had gone to, and there would be others, before Diana would finish her prayers, expunge herself from whatever troubling thoughts that the man's world had given her….when she would come to her.

--

As for Diana, had she even spared one parting glance at Nightwing, Batgirl and Robin, she would have caught the barely disguised fear in their movements over and between Gotham's skyscrapers. However, with what Bruce has just done to her, using his subordinates to 'command' her, to show no care about her feelings…about her, she had completely shut down. Suddenly, the warm, yet rapidly cooling night air of the city…_his_ city seemed to suffocate her, her angered warrior spirit giving into the stinging pain that the woman in her felt. She had to get away, away from here, from them….from him. She needed to get away to collect herself, to center herself, after all she was above all, first and foremost an Amazon….and she bowed, lowered herself for no man. Never. Not even now.

Then again, she could just follow the 'Way of the Amazons' and just take the man who had caught her fancy…no, not just caught her fancy, but a man who had even without conscious effort on his part, or realization on hers, had captured her heart, only to push her away, repeatedly.

What was she thinking when she had gone out with King? Who was she trying to dupe by her actions? It was true that she had enjoyed the silver haired man's company, his laid back manner putting her at ease….just as another had done not so long ago, when in an action completely in contrast with his usual nom de cur, he had _rescued_ his damsel in distress, if only from the clutches of overtly enthusiastic fans and reporters.

'Not so long ago.' But compared to the way they were now, it seemed like ages had passed since that _fairy tale_ night.

She would not lie to herself that the only reason she enjoyed King's company was because in a way he reminded her of Bruce. The similarities had added to the experience, but even by himself, King Faraday was quite an engaging man. The problem Diana faced, and one she realized only after their _date_ was that in her subconscious effort to _'move on'_ as it was said in the patriarch's world, she had missed on one very important thing. That was, in order to her to move on, she first needed to break off, to draw away…to close any other open ends with her…previous emotional involvements.

….and for that very reason she here, back on the one place she was sure she would be able to accomplish what she needed to do…even if her heart pleaded otherwise, cried out to her not to do so.

---

As for the reason for her heartache,

**BEEP BEEP BEEP…**

The constant, equally spaced beep of the heart monitor was the only thing sound breaking the silence. That and the low, nearly inaudible snores of the teenager curled up on the second bed in the room, his nose twitching every few seconds as errant strands of hair tickled at his nostrils. Dressed in civilian garb, he and the other two people present with him, looked like any other normal family…if not for the heavy bandages on one of them, dried deep copper colored fluid staining the ones on the mid section, arm and shoulder, the clean sheets drawn to his waist covering another one on his right leg.

Seated a few feet from him was a man, older than him but younger than the person on the bed, his hard gaze set at the person who had defined his life, both as a child and as an adult. Even though they had had and would always have their differences, seeing him like this, Dick would give and do anything to have Bruce wake up and speak to him, even if it was with his usual grunts and cold stares.

--

"They haven't left him." A cultured, yet tired masculine voice broke the silence in the corridor outside.

"No." A second voice answered the first, responding to a question that was in truth a self evident statement. "They are taking turns in-in keeping an eye….waiting for him to wake up."

A hand came to rest on the slim shoulders of the woman standing at the observation window, her own hand instinctively rising up to cover it. Standing together, one in front of the other, the two people who, if not closest, were definitely the most 'privy' to the three people within the room. Alfred Pennyworth, the Wayne's family butler, and for all purposes, the elder of the Bat-Wayne family, and Dr. Leslie Thompkins, family friend to the Wayne, and the only woman who came close to approaching but never replacing Martha Wayne in the eyes of her son, Bruce, had both seen their share of blood from the man whom both had grown to regard as their son. However, even after…repairing more wounds and injuries that either of them wanted to count, the pain and fear that they felt for him, it was as raw and intense as the first time that either of them had dressed the wounds that Bruce…that Batman received in his war against crime.

"He will recover." Alfred's words, uttered with a quite determination and hope, were voiced not only for himself, not only for Leslie, but for the criminals of Gotham…of the world.

"I know." Leslie's nod supported him. "I know." The whispered repeat did not.

Even though she knew that Bruce was out of life threatening danger, even though her heart felt elated for it, Leslie could not push down the fear and the sadness that came from Alfred's and her confirmation to them. That Bruce would recover was a source a joy for not only her but for everyone who associated themselves with him. Apart from Alfred and her, there were Dick and Tim, who, for all purposes were Bruce Wayne's sons, both in his and their hearts. Even Tim, the street smart thirteen year old, even he had grown to think of that man who had taken him in and after the death of his birth-father…his first father, had adopted him as his son and younger brother to his first son, Richard 'Dick' Grayson. It did not matter that they did not have the same last name, what mattered what was what inside, both in their civilian and their costumed lives….and this feeling, this sense of belonging, although it was heartening to Leslie, she, even without factoring in her lifelong held ideal of pacifism, could not push down her fears of what would if some day, either one or all of them would not be able to get help in time or be hurt so bad that no amount of effort would be able to….

Not being able to complete the thought, a sob escaped her lips, her hand balling at her mouth to muffle it, but not before Alfred, as though able to sense her thoughts, drew her closer to him, their aging spirits supporting strengthening each other.

---

Back on Themiscyra,

"Mother?" Diana's eyes spoke everything, asked every question that her lips couldn't. "This...?" She lifted a finger to gestured towards the object a few feet away.

Of all the possible explanations that Hippolyta could give, she chose the simplest one, the one that cause Diana to fling herself at her. "I-I missed you."

"Mother." Diana's whispered, her throat too choked to say anything else. Even though her relations with her mother had been improving steadily ever since Hippolyta _'cancelled'_ the exile banning her from stepping foot on Themiscyra, this was the first time she had actually come out and in clear, succinct words opened up….allowed the mother and not the queen to speak, to act…to hold her daughter.

It seemed like hours…it seemed like an infinitesimal instant, neither of them knew or cared, but when they finally broke their embrace, not only were their eyes shimmering with tears, but their smiles also mirrored each others. For Hippolyta, it was as if, she had finally got her daughter back. Even she lived in man's world now….she had come back to her homeland, to their sisters, to her. It was this same joy that stopped her from inquiring about Diana's impromptu visit, and the sadness she could see in her daughter's eyes. Diana's previous two visits, one when the exile order was rescinded and the second to report about the work that she had started as Themiscyra's ambassador to the patriarch's world, none of them had allowed them the time and opportunity to experience the warmth they were sharing now…..the pain that either of them felt for the other's actions not yet gone, had stood as a barrier between them.

Not anymore.

Turning back towards the direction she had pointed in, Diana gazed at the dull brown statue., an uncanny facsimile of her form, albeit one from a younger time in her life, a simpler time, a time when the only knowledge she had of man's world was the one she had drawn out of the tales from her sisters, and from once in a while washed on shore, objects from that world that lay across the vast, seemingly never ending expanses of water surrounding her mystically _hidden_ island home. It was time without any thoughts or first hand experience of greed, poverty, suffering, death, a time before any of the countless villains that never seemed to give up and the heroes who were just as diligent in their efforts to stop them. A time before all that.

'A time before _him_….princess.'

The flinch that passed over her daughter's face did not go unnoticed by Hippolyta. Even though she couldn't hear the sudden piping up of Diana's inner 'wild' side.

As for Diana, even though her inner doppelganger had only verbally announced herself now, Diana had been detecting her continuous presence ever since her feet had touched Themiscyra. The truth was, over the past few days, this once in a while voice had grown more frequent, more pronounced….more independent, to almost when Diana sometimes felt as if there were two different individuals living inside of her.

"Diana. Is something wrong?" Diana caught the concern in her mother's voice and cursed herself for not being able to mask her emotions better. That thought gained a chuckle from her inner twin, and yet another reminder of a person, a man she had come here to cleanse her thoughts and her heart of. "You seem…distracted."

"I am fine mother," 'physically' she added silently not wanting to lie to her mother.

Even though her heart pushed to delve further, the tight set jaw of her daughter caused Hippolyta to do otherwise, to remain silent. There was something wrong, that much she was certain of. Once she would have forced her point, ordered Diana to tell her what was troubling her. However, that time was long gone. The woman who stood before her wasn't the same bubbly child that had played in her arms, nor the same innocent, wide eyed, yet wary young woman who had ventured away from the shores of their homeland, drawn away from an invisible voice and her own enthusiastic curiosity. This was a battle hardened warrior, one who was rapidly developing into a competent…an excellent diplomat, a source of pride for her fellow Amazons, in short everything a mother could ask for in a daughter.

"Very well." Acceding to the privacy that she realized Diana wanted for now, the Queen mother placed a hand at her back and started to lead her inside.

"You know…" She slowed down momentarily, just before they entered through the doors. "You could try talking to Troia," she gestured towards the directions they had come from. "She is a very good listener."

"Troia?" This was a name that Diana had never heard from her mother's lips, or from any of their Amazonian sisters. "Who…."

"Her." Hippolyta pointed towards the silent figure standing against the wall in Hippolyta's private garden, the dull brown a sharp contrast to the smoothness of the marble flooring and wall.

"Her?" It took Diana a couple of seconds to realize who…to what her mother had gestured towards. "That." Her eyes widened at the realization that her mother had named the statue that bore an eerie resemblance to her. "You named tha…her."

"I told you…" Hippolyta's voice dropped to a whisper. "…I missed you, missed my daughter."

Not wanting to bring up the memories of a time that both she and her mother wanted to forget, Diana, in spite of her inner turmoil, adopted a light tone.

"You missed your daughter….So you created a _replacement_."

"_Diana!_" Hippolyta's reaction was out before Diana completed her comment. However, just as quickly as the pain had risen up, seeing the amused quirking of Diana's lips, it all faded away...just as easily. "No. Not a replacement. Never that." She held and squeezed Diana's hand for emphasis. "A shadow, a mirror…a…."

"I understand mother." Diana drew her close for a hard embrace. "I understand. I missed you too." Fresh tears trailed down her cheeks, flowing along the path set by the already dried ones.

"And you know what." She spoke as they finally drew back. "Maybe I will take your advice. I could use a patient ear to talk to."

'You can talk to me.' Once again Hippolyta stopped the words threatening to escape from her lips. If and when Diana wanted to talk to her, she would do so.

"Good. Now come. Lets go for dinner."

--

A few hours later,

"Gaea!" Diana gasped as she sat up in her bed, the sheet covering her falling to her waist. "Wh-wha…" trying to speak, she found her throat too dry to do so. 'What was that?'

Tossing off the cotton sheets, she moved until her legs hung over the side of the bed, one hand reaching for the water decanter.

She had barely taken a couple of gulps when, her feet reaching down to rest over the cool marble surface, Diana felt body moving into a standing position. One foot rose and came back to ground a foot away, the second one mirroring its motion until, as if acting free of conscious control, Diana found herself moving along the familiar hallways of the royal palace.

A cold shudder ran down her back as she emerged into the cool night. Moments later, a second shudder went down the way of the first…although not for the same reason, as she came to a stop at her destination, in front of a certain wall in a specific section of the royal garden.

Her eyes already widened at the sight before her, Diana could not contain her yelp at what happened next, as a voice, a _tone_ that until only a few hours ago Diana had only heard from one other….and that person was her inner twin.

"Hey Di. How's it hanging."

-

-

* * *

**Note:** Well, we know who this new person is….after all, I even gave out her name. Just wanted to introduce Troia (Donna) into the JLU (DCAU) Universe. Had a couple of plans to do so…one of them is this. Hope you liked the twist. 

Please Review!


	12. I Am Superior

**12. I Am Superior**

**Summary: **What has Luther been up to. (Chapter title from JLU episode, 'I Am Legion')

* * *

Weeks ago,

"_YYAARRGGGHHH!"  
_  
**CRASH  
**  
The sound of the semi assembled robotic arm smashing against the wall boomed aloud in the hall like room, its echoes trailng in the empty corridors on the other side of the door.

"Damn _Monkey_." The baritone voice carried as much venom as it did anger. "Who does he _think_ he is. Treating me, Lex Luther, like I am his personal slave."

In response, his other half, the sentient computer Brainiac, reminded him why _they_ had joined Gorilla Grodd's Legion of Supervillains in the first place. It was all because of the only remaining piece of Brainiac's physical self, the one that Grodd had in his possession. It was just before what Lex had thought would be a onetime deal, but turned out to be just a first of many missions and payoffs that he had to make for the telepathic Gorilla.

"_Give me the piece of Brainiac and we are even."_  
"_Not yet Lex. Today was just a test. Your next mission is for real."_

"_He still has something we need. We have to put with him, for now."_  
"_I should kill you."_  
"_But you won't"_  
"_No…Not today."  
_  
"I won't kill you now monkey," Luther cursed aloud once again. "Death will be too easy for someone like you. I will make you pay for every single thing that I have had to do these past months, every single time when you have tried to show yourself to be superior than any man."

An idea forming in his mind, he jerked his head towards the left, towards a rather large piece of machinery behind which a slim, teenager like form was crouched, in an effort to stay out of the fire.

"You. Toyman." Barked Luther. "Come here."  
"Y-Yes Boss." Even as his face sported its ever present smile, the diminutive Toyman's nervousness sounded clear in his voice. "Want something boss?"  
"Yes. Get out."  
"Huh?"

"Get out you idiot. Stay out and don't allow anyone to disturb me until I call for you again."

"Uh-okay boss." More than happy and rather relieved at being able to make a safe getaway, especially after the last time when Luther in his rage had nearly knocked off his head, Toyman scurried out the door, feeling safe only after the click of the door lock sounded behind him. Hopefully by the time Luther called him again, his temper would have cooled down to less harmful level…harmful for Toyman that is.

And cool it did. It cooled down so much that the next time i.e. almost nine hours after sending him on sentry duty, Luther called him, the bald man had a rather smug but still sinister smile on his face.

"I want you to find someone for me." It was straight down to business.  
"Find?" Toyman tilted his head up to him. "Who Boss?"  
"His name is Prometheus. Find him and tell him that someone requires his…_services_."  
"Done boss." Getting ready to leave again, Toyman stopped at Luther's reminder to him.  
"Do it alone. Don't let anyone know about it." That meant not taking Bizarro or any of the other Luther supporters in the Legion. "Contact him, but without using my name anywhere. I don't want anyone to know about this." 'Not yet anyway,' he added to himself.

Once the other _man_ left, Luther returned to ruminate on his plans and how this change was going to play in the larger scheme of things, all working towards two objectives, one of which, life before, was to find Brianiac and once again merge with him and the second, a more pressing one (for the man part of Luther-Brainiac) was to take down Grodd.

"Monkey. You might be far superior to any man…" he spoke to no one in particular. "…but at the end of the day, that's all you are. A lowly monkey. One who has forgotten his place in the chain of evolution."

---

Recently,

Making the first move of his elaborate plan to both keep the League busy, thus keeping its attention away from the Legion and to take over the Super-Villain group at the same time, Lex Luther had ventured out of the safety of the Legion headquarters, and was now standing in front of the man he had selected to make his first hit…right at the brain center of the League. The Batman. Next in line was that infernal idiot, the one who took Brainiac away from him. The Flash.

Along with these two, there was also a list of six randomly chosen Leaguers, with neither of them being from the executive council. It was a simple yet ingenious plan. One hit per week for eight weeks, with Batman and Flash making up for week one and five. As for the other six weeks, Green Arrow, WildCat, Katana, Aztec, Crimson Fox and Gypsy, made them up respectively. Three men and three women. After al, no matter what, no one could accuse Lex Luther of not being an equal opportunity person. Even villains he had chosen were three and three each….except for Toyman who he wasn't too sure about.

One thing he had clearly avoided, especially given his past, was going against Superman or anyone close to him. It was a deliberate choice, because even if he wanted to hurt the League and keep them involved, Luther wanted to do so without drawing too much attention. And bringing in the Kryptonian into play…well, that pretty much ruled out anything covert. It was for the same reason that Bizarro had been kept out.

"When do you want it done?" Bereft of his helmet, Prometheus's silver colored hair stood out in the sparsely lighted warehouse.  
"A week from now." Lex answered from the shadows, Toyman standing close behind him. "Here is half of the money." He gestured towards the robot/android. "The other half…"

"Not now." Prometheus lifted a gloved hand. "Not for this hit."  
"What do you mean?" Luther's voice dropped as his suspicion rose.

"This time, I'll take it only after its done." After all it wasn't everyday that you got the hit on the Batman. This one, as much as it was a job, it was also a _name maker_, a sort of Superbowl Ring for someone like Prometheus. "Just let me know how do you want him? Want me to bring him to you? Alive or preferably Dead?"

A corner of his lips curving up seeing kindred pride, Luther took a few seconds to ruminate over his choices.

"One, I don't want my name to be even remotely attached to this. Two, I want him left alive, but only just. If he succumbs to his injuries…then it isn't our problem, is it. Three, I want that hellhole he tries so hard to salvage, to be set on fire….just not by us. I want it to be done by the ones who have been wronged by him. And four, I want it done so as to return a favor to a…friend."  
"A friend?" Prometheus arched an eyebrow in query.

"Yes. The Joker. I want the Joker to be freed to put a smile on the people of Gotham. Their _final_ smile."

---

What Luther had told neither Toyman, nor Prometheus or even the person he was to contact for the hit on Arkham, Harleyquinn, was that from a surprise visit by a pro bono _lawyer_, the Joker already knew about his upcoming _release_, and about the two million dollars to finance his activities.

Next in line was Merlyn, and unlike Prometheus whose main aim was the man rather than the city, Merlyn was to do an equal split, hitting both Star City and its guardian, Green Arrow.

Progressing each week, it would all culminate two months from now, just in time for Grodd's planned attack on his erstwhile home, Gorilla City. Once that was over, the monkey would _give up_ to his position to a someone even superior, him, Lex-Brainiac Luther.

---

Present time, Gotham City,

"Just what do you think you are doing?" Stopping mid move, Tim Drake stared at livid red face of woman standing in the doorway, Alfred's calm but concerned form just behind her.

"We are taking him to the cave." It was Dick who answered, calmly resuming the actions that had stopped from the intrusion.  
"Are you out of your mind?" Stomping up to the bed, Dr. Leslie Thompkins, got right in the face of the young man, deliberately coming in between him and the bed where a still unconscious Bruce Wayne lay, blissfully ignorant of the goings on around him.

"Leslie." Dick sighed, his frustration clear on his face. Bags under his eyes, fatigue lines around his mouth, and sporting a two day old stubble, Dick Grayson looked anything but rested. Not helping matters was the bandage on his right arm, over his costume, the one he hadn't taken off since returning from his patrol over three hours ago and from handing over Arnold Wesker, the Ventriloquist to the G.C.P.D. With the other four, the Joker, Two-Face, Poison Ivy and Lock Up, still out there, he knew that it wouldn't be long before one or all of them made their move. In such a position, keeping Bruce here in the city, even if it was in an secret section of the basement of Leslie's clinic, wasn't something he was at ease with.

"Don't Leslie me." Running a hand through her hair, the doctor stared down all the three men in the room. "I told you that in his current state…."  
"I know that." Dick snapped, almost feeling sorry at how much of Batman had sounded in him.  
"Don't you dare use that tone with me, Richard Grayson. Don't. You. Dare." Leslie was equally heated in her response. "I did not spend five hours, dig out dozens of bullet fragments, set two bones and bandage just about half of his body so that you could play Batman junior and play along with his muse to act as if he is invulnerable."

"Leslie…" Alfred started, only to be silence by a raised hand.  
"No, Alfred. You might have to and want to go along with their ruse to dress and go about beating people, trying to get peace without using anything other than intimidation and violence, but I don't." Returning her stare to Dick, she carried on. "You want to take him out of here without him recovering and I swear that you will have to do it over my dead body."

Silence reigned in the room, until…until a female voice sounded through Dick communicator.

"Nightwing." It was Raven on the other side. "Nightwing? Are you there?"

A deep frown still darkening his face, Nightwing lifted a hand and answered the call. "This is not a good ti…._WHAT!_" His expression changed mid-sentence, as did his physical demeanor. "I'll be right there."

"Dick?" Tim too was up and ready to move. "What is it?"  
"I have to go," Dick answered, already pulling on his gloves. "Contact Babs and tell her to come here."

"What about Bruce?" Tim gestured at their mentor's prone form.  
"Him." Dick glanced from Bruce to Leslie to Tim and finally to Alfred. At getting a near imperceptible nod from the Wayne family butler and senior, "Let him be here…but only till he is fit enough to move," he relented, but only just. Knowing Bruce, as soon as he woke up, he would make the move himself. "Tim…." He started.  
"Yes."  
"Contact the Huntress." Both Tim and Alfred raised eyebrows at that. "Tell…request for help. I will be away for sometime. Titan business."

"What happened" Tim knew enough that for Dick to react this way, it had to be something very personal. Except for Bruce there were only a handful of people for whom Dick got so agitated, and with three of them already in this room, and one at her home, the list got whittled down to basically the Titans.

"Roy's been shot."

---

Elsewhere on Themiscyra,

"You'll be _what!_" Diana's bellow sounded through the marble corridors.

"Wonder Girl." The lively teenager answered with seemingly never ending zest. "Sounds great doesn't it. I even have a punch line."  
"Punch Line?" Diana echoed with a sinking feeling in her gut.

"Yes. Punch line….ahem," Donna cleared her throat and adopted a welcoming pose.. "Ta da. Now presenting Wonder Girl."

"**Wonder Woman 2.0. Double the fun, none of the blow."  
**  
"_Hera._ What have you got me into."

-

-

* * *

**_Note:_** This chapter was mainly to tie up the trailing plotlines from this fic to the JLU cartoon series, with a helping of (a couple of) events from Green Arrow's IC tie-in, and of course, the Titans nee Outsiders. But with all modified for the Animated setting. 

**_JLU Spoilers:_** s5e1 (I Am Legion), s5e6 (Dead Reckoning).

Next chapter…Who or What is Donna? The story of Diana's younger _twin_.

Please Review!


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